A new Witch
by FantasyFreakLover
Summary: Jaenelle's son is pulled towards a Queen-only problem, she's in our world. Alone in life, Arina longs for something else. Lucien comes and takes her to his world-where she is stronger than anyone would have thought. After Purge.
1. Chapter 1

Arina was a strange girl. She was a poor girl in an exclusive private school. She was there on a scholarship, for language. She had passed with 'flying colors' from all five high school classes in both French and Spanish while in middle school, so, naturally got a scholarship to best high school with the best language options. Thus, she was at Silverwood Private High School.

She saw her parents once a day, maybe. Her mother picked her up from school, when she remembered. Other than that, perhaps they would be at dinner. But most likely not. Her younger sister was a Heroin/Cocaine/….pretty-much-every-single-drug-out-there addict, and an alcoholic as well. She had dropped out of school. Her parents had taken all the money that would have been used for high school enrolment and gave it to Arina. That would be all the money she received for the next four years, so 'use it wisely'. Translation: don't let your sister get her hands on it. After that, her parents practically forgot that they had children.

Arina got up at an ungodly hour to get the bus to the public school closest to Silverwood: a mile away. She walked the mile and got to school an hour early. She was given the keys to the school in the first week she attended, because of the special circumstances. She spent the hour in the library, working on personal projects. She took the hardest classes the school offered, and all the extra classes about creativity (art, design, architecture, interior design, fashion design, cooking, writing classes) that she could. The schools classes worked rather like this: half studied, half didn't. The half that studied did well. Of the half that did not study, a fourth did not need to study, and did fine anyways, half bribed the school and the teachers for a pass, and a fourth failed and did not care. Arina had hours to study but did not to, and as a result, was acing out of her classes. After school ended she waited until seven o'clock. If her mother had not come by then, she called a taxi. During the time from three thirty to seven, she did her homework, private projects, was paid to plan lessons, studied things that fascinated her: ancient architecture, ancient civilizations, and old court systems. She read for pleasure, and roamed the school.

Even before her first month as a freshman ended, Arina was known as the schools 'go to'. About to be late for a class? There's Arina; ask her for a short cut. Want somewhere secluded for a make out session? Ask Arina where she'd suggest. Want to know the ways to charm the teachers? Ask Arina.

She was the universal teachers pet, knew the layout of the school by heart. Everyone needed her, but no one wanted to be her friend. She had absolutely no friends, so channeled herself into things that she enjoyed. Other than all the time she spent in school, she horseback rode, was above a seven level black belt in fifteen forms of martial arts, and had learned how to use weapons: staff, sword, knives/daggers.

She was also beautiful. She had glossy black, thick, waist length hair, complete with gold, silver, and bronze streaks, silver eyes, long nails, dark gold skin, high, angled cheekbones, long legs, small hands and feet, and an undeniable grace of movement. People were rather afraid of her eyes, because they were terrifyingly empty so much of the time. People rarely got anything but a blank look. It was only around animals that her guard would drop and she would smile, laugh, and let it go to her eyes. Anything else, they stayed empty.

She was also undeniably lonely. She was so strange that no one would be any thing like a friend. They took what they needed from her, and then left her alone. She stayed out of the house as much as possible to stay away from her crazy, drug-driven sister, and uncaring parents.

Amazingly, Arina was not depressed. She wasn't suicidal. She did not feel the urge to use drugs. She simply built walls, walls that grew stronger every day. By now, they were impenetrable. Beyond the walls, deep in the core of her being was where Arina's feelings were. Somewhere no one could find them, and use them to hurt her any more than she already was.

And the strongest feeling there, a feeling so strong that she had built separate walls around it, to keep from hurting, was a wish that was stronger than any else. A wish to be somewhere, anywhere, else. Somewhere where she had friends. Somewhere she was…loved. Oh yes. She had to keep that wish locked away. Because if she didn't, then she would go mad from the pain when all her walls broke.

Lucien SaDiablo was pacing. And muttering. Again. His twin brother, Yaslana SaDiablo, sighed. His older cousin, Daemonar Yaslana, groaned. His little sister, Rose, on the other hand, exploded.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You mope around all day, or you're frustrated, so you pace or pick a fight with Uncle Lucivar. Would you just tell us what's wrong? Or do it in you're room, so the rest of us don't have to suffer with you." She stalked off, and everyone got out of her way.

Daemonar shrugged. "It _is_ pretty early. You seem to have avoided your mother's morning tendencies, but your siblings weren't so lucky. Still, she has a point. What's wrong with you?" Yaslana raised an eyebrow, waiting.

Lucien stared at them both for a long moment. Then he abruptly turned and started towards the Hall without answering the question. The other two males got to their feet and followed him, at a distance. All the children had received uncut Red's as their birthright. Yaslana and Daemonar had been gifted with the Ebon-gray after their Offering, but Lucien had gotten the Black. Rose was still too young to make her Offering to the Darkness, but they suspected that she would wear the Black as well. Still, no one wanted to piss off Lucien.

Lucien headed straight for the breakfast room. Rose having joined them, everyone but Lucien, Yaslana and Daemonar was in the room. Jaenelle and Daemon; Marian and Lucivar; Saetan and Tersa; Surreal and Rainier; Morghann and Khardeen; Gabrielle and Chaosti; Kalush and Aaron; Sceron and Elan along with Astar and Grezande; Jonah and his sister Zylona, and of course, Karla. Then, of course, there were all the children with their parents. It made for one crowded breakfast room, and a hell of a lot of power.

Everyone turned to look at them as the three young males entered the room. Rose raised an eyebrow. Lucien ignored them all, focusing on his mother.

"Mother, could I speak to you?" Jaenelle raised an eyebrow. "Privately?"

Everyone else groaned. "Oh, come on!" Karla exclaimed. "We all want to know what's going on with you, and you just leave us out?" There were several similar exclamations from the other women at the table. The males just looked at him sympathetically. Lucien scowled.

"Someone needs me," he blurted out. All conversation stopped and everyone turned to look at him.

"Who needs you?" Daemon asked his son, his deep voice soothing.

"I don't know," Lucien said, wretchedly. "I don't know who, I don't know where, I just know that who ever it is needs me." He sat down and put his head in his hands in frustration.

"So you want me to weave a tangled web to see if I can find her," Jaenelle clarified. Lucien nodded and looked up hopefully. Jaenelle had already called in her weaving materials, and was starting, with Karla and Gabrielle close by. "I'll need some of your blood, because it is you're feeling." She said. "I will tell you when I need it." Lucien nodded again.

Rose came over and handed all the boys coffee. "You look like you need it. So, this feeling is what has been driving you crazy?"

"Yes," Lucien muttered, downing his coffee in one go.

,

"Humph." She muttered, wandering off. She sat down next to Titan, Rainer and Surreal's daughter, and the two immediately started talking.

All three young males rolled their eyes.

After a while, Jaenelle looked up at Lucien. "All right, I'm done here. All I need is the trigger."

Standing, Lucien moved to stand next to his mother, holding out his hand. Taking it, Jaenelle pricked his finger and let the drops of blood fall on the focal points of the web. There was a split second when nothing happened, and then white mist swirled up the wall the web was set against. Once the mist entirely covered the wall, it seemed to shiver, and then…

It was a small room, with a four-person table in the center. A kitchen, clearly, with dishes stacked on the counter, and some food boxes here and there.

_There was a girl eating at the table, looking tired. There was a heavy looking bag beside her. _(Several of the males snarled; she was a Queen and Black Widow. She should have males, not have to do things herself) _A few seconds later, another girl burst into the room, her eyes wild and empty looking, but somehow hungry._

"_No Sara, I am not going to give you money to buy drugs with." The first girl said, not even looking up from her breakfast. _

"_I just need one hundred dollars! I'll break into your room and get it my self!"_

"_The day you break into my room, Sara," the first girl said calmly, getting up and cleaning her dishes in the sink before going back to the table and picking up her bag, "is the day I throw myself off a cliff."_

_Sara screamed and started knocking things over. She lunged for the first girl, but she nimbly sidestepped. Sara crashed into the wall, and the other girl went to the door. "Clean that up," she said sternly, before walking out the door and locking it behind her. Inside the house, the girl kept screaming. _

_There was a huge dog in the yard across the street—a German shepherd—and it went bounding over to her as soon as she walked out of her house. Smiling widely, the girl knelt down and hugged the big dog, talking lightly to it. She finally got to her feet with a sigh. "I'm going to be late if I don't go. I'll see you later, J."_

_Even running down, the street, she almost missed the yellow thing (bus), but managed to get it. Inside, it was packed with children, all obviously younger than her. They stared, and whispered. The girl's eyes, which had been warm and loving when she was with the dog turned cold and empty. She got off quickly at a street that branched off, and the thing continued on. She started walking down the street. Ten minutes later, she was in sight of a huge building. She unlocked the empty building, and then went around turning on lights, getting things set up, before finally coming to a stop in the library. _

_She took some papers out and started to study them, making miniscule adjustments. Eventually the sounds of others in the school started to echo into the library. A teacher came into the library and headed for her. _

"_Arina—"_

_Her hand flashed out and scooped up a pile of papers, which she handed to him. He took them, giving her a green slip in return. She slid it into her pocket as the teacher left. It went on that way, with people coming up to ask Arina things, and her telling them in a blank voice or giving it to them. If she gave something, then they would give her something green, _(they decided that it must be money of some sort.)_ When classes started, it was no better. No one would talk to her, teachers used her for examples, and she just sat there with an empty look in her eyes. _

_She obviously had no friends, and that empty look never went away. Everyone wanted things from her, but no one wanted to be with her. At the end of school, everyone left, and Arina went around, locking the school, turning things off, then retreating to the library. She did her homework, did some things for other people, went and did stuff on some sort of screen, then read. _

_When the clock read 7:30 Arina went and talked into something, waited for fifteen minutes, then went to the front of the school, where a smaller yellow thing quickly showed up. Getting in, Arina gave the man directions, and a half hour later she gave him several green slips and got out in front of her house. She waved to the dog, J, then, sighing, went into her house. She made herself a quick sandwich, then went upstairs. Unfortunately, she was cornered before she could reach the door at the end by Sara, who once again begged for money, even going so far as trying to shove her down the stairs. Rolling her eyes, Arina slipped around her then slammed the door in Sara's face. _

The resulting crash sent the tangled web against the floor, where it broke into pieces. The white mist promptly disappeared. Everyone looked at each other, shocked.

"Well," Karla finally said, "It's quite obvious that she desperately needs you, Lucien. If I had to take that every day…" Shaking her head, Karla left the room.

Vanishing the remains of the web, Jaenelle went to the door, accompanied by Gabrielle.

"We're going to work on some way to get you to this place, dear, don't worry." Then they left, leaving Lucien staring after them.

"You know, I almost wish that I never asked. That was terrible," he groaned.

"That was pretty bad," Yaslana agreed.

Daemon and Lucivar exchanged looks, and nodded.

"I hope Jaenelle finds a way to get there fast. She looks like she's hurting."

"You've been in situations like that, haven't you?" Yaslana, remembered.

"Oh, yes." Lucivar said grimly. "We know exactly how she must feel. That's why we want to get her out."

"I don't think she _feels_ anything." Surreal commented, leaning forward. "Did you see her eyes? They were utterly empty, like there was nothing in them. Even her voice was empty. I think she must have blocked off all of her feelings. She must be desperate. I mean you two," she gestured to Daemon and Lucivar, "You knew that Witch was coming, and that was what you were waiting for. She looks like she has nothing. Like she's drowning, and all that is holding her up is the way she keeps things at bay."

Lucien groaned again. "I wish you hadn't said that, Aunt Surreal. Now I'm having these thoughts that she gives up and dies."

"She's stronger than that," Surreal said, but everyone could hear the doubt in her voice.


	2. Chapter 2

Arina opened her eyes.

The dim light from her blank, practically empty room was both reassuring and a disappointment after the darkness of her dream. Closing her eyes again, she tried to draw the dream back. But, as always, it remained just out of reach, a sort of feeling of strength, love, and peace. She sat up abruptly. Those were not good feelings to linger on. Not here, not now. Not when her parents where on the brink of promotions, her sister was having particular problems with her drug needs, and school exams coming up.

She shivered, and then started to get dressed. She was making her way down to the kitchen in five minutes flat, moving silently. She paused in the doorway, and opened the fridge, though not in any real hope. Sure enough, the mere sight of food made her nauseous. She hurriedly closed the door and bolted from the room, locking the door behind her.

Arina leaned against the door, breathing hard. She had not been able to eat solid food without puking it back up for almost a week. She could manage small amounts of liquids, but that was it. She always felt sick, was always hungry, and was always hostile now.

A soft whine and a pressure on her leg caused Arina to look down. She smiled gently. No matter how angry she was, she would never take it out on her friends.

"Hey, Janos," she crooned, crouching and starting to stroke him. The big shepherd butted his head against her, and then licked her face. She kissed him, gave him a hug, and stood. Walking down the street, all of her happiness drained away once more, leaving her cold and empty.

Halfway down the street, she stopped. The thought of going to school to day was almost as bad as the thought of food. She turned back and went into the house. In the garage, there was a third car. She was only allowed to use it for an hour a week, but her hours had built up, and she had almost thirty hours with the car now.

Slipping into her room, she shut the door and started to lock it. It was only when all fifteen locks were in place that she turned and started to silently gather her things. No one would look for her for thirty hours, and only then because _He_ would notice that the extra car was still missing, and freak out. Arina folded her clothes and put them in bags, and then carefully put all of her books in her suitcases. All of her delicate things went into their padded cases and folded into the clothes, at least, those that she had taken out in the first place.

In the end, it only took her an hour to dismantle and pack everything in her room that she valued. By that time her parents had gone to work and her sister to…wherever she went when she needed her drugs. It only took her three trips to carry everything down to the car, when she knew that everyone else she had known would take about ten. She didn't mind. Finally, all that remained in her room was her little purse and the tiny wallet. In her wallet was a credit card with almost 30,000 dollars on it. The money for high school and college (she had dozens of scholarships), the money she had earned, and everything her parents had ever given her. That was everything she had now. She shrugged to herself, picked the purse up, and went downstairs, shutting the door behind her, but not bothering to lock it. It did not matter, after all. She wasn't coming back, not if she could help it. She could rent a hotel room, if she had too.

Arina got into the little car and backed out of the garage, the sight of Janos, curled up forlornly on the porch of his house, stopped her. Thinking back, she had never seen any of his owners doing anything for him. She groomed him, walked him, and loved him. His owners ignored him. Opening the back door, Arina whistled to Janos, and he bounded up joyfully. The girl coaxed him into the car, regardless of the damage, and then continued to go. She highly doubted his owners would even notice that he was missing.

The one good thing about her town, she thought, was the fact that, as long as you kept them on a short leash, dogs were—grudgingly—allowed in the main mall. She went through the mall, recklessly buying everything she wanted. The dream that had woken her up was hovering closer to her mind, giving her an odd sense of freedom.

Who cared what she bought? Not her. She still had plenty of money.

Arina bought CD's that had the songs she liked, even if it only had one of them, and some of her favorite movies. She also bought a laptop, for the fun of it. She bought all the books that she had ever wanted, all the clothes that she had ever even imagined buying, and statues of fairies, animals, and castles. She went to Tiffany's and bought plenty of jewelry, for no purpose but that she liked it. The last thing that she started to shop for was candy. She bought all of her favorites, and then some. Chocolate, caramel, and gum were a few of the things she got.

Sometime around six at night, Arina got back into the car and took a deep breath. The smell of chocolate was heavy, with a slight fruity tang (gum). There was the clean, crisp smell of new clothes, and a slightly different smell of new paper. She smiled happily.

It took her an hour to reach the stables that she always went to. The huge barns and the noise of horses always relaxed her, and riding and caring for them even more so. The fact that she had to associate with people at the same time was what she called an 'unavoidable consequence'. She had to get access somehow, and working here did the job.

Still, it was a good place, even if she did have to get horses tacked for petty five-year-olds who whined and complained, were mean to the horses, and were generally unpleasant. She only had to do that for an hour. The owner who had tried to get her to teach gave up when she sent all of the children home in hysterics. And then, when the parents came to complain, she sent them away in hysterics after about ten minutes. Not one of them came back. Ever. At that, the owner decided to keep Arina with the horses, and away from the customers.

Now, Janos sprawled in the corner of the stable as Arina went down the rows of stalls, crooning to the horses, and getting some of them out and tacking them up. Leading the horses out, she held them—and herself—still while the children clumsily mounted. However, when one of the children kicked her horse hard in the rump, she could not help herself. Arina yanked the child out of the saddle, taught the girl how to mount properly, then watched sharply while the girl did so, wide eyed and trembling. The instructor just laughed as Arina stalked back to the barn, glowering.

Making a beeline towards the farthest barn, Arina soon reached the stalls of her favorite horses. The male, a huge, jet black thoroughbred, was named Deathwind, and had been an incredible racer in his time. The mare, on the other hand, was a pure white Arabian, and was called Pewter Star. Don't ask anyone why, though. The owner named her, and he died two years ago. Everyone just called her Star these days.

The two of them had a foal, a sweet little thing, silver grey with the cutest black eyes. Arina had named her Shooting Star, and because it was Arina who had been at the birthing, who had taken care of Star through her pregnancy, and had kept the terrifying stallion calm, everyone accepted that as fact, and Shooting Star had been registered. The fact that it was a good name helped.

She carefully groomed all three, murmured to them, and played with them. It might sound crazy to play with a horse, but it involved a lot of riding, and running around trying to catch them. Or, in the case of Shooting Star, pretend to try to catch them. Finally, they were happy, and she was happy, so she went on her way.

For hours, Arina worked her way through the barns. Most everyone else had already left, and by the time midnight rolled around, there were only three other people at the barns.

Conveniently enough, that was pretty much when the fire started.

The fire started in the biggest barn, though no one could tell why. It quickly spread to the other three barns, and the other three headed for those, leaving the largest barn, the one that was the worst off, to Crystal. She didn't mind: to her, it was easier to be alone than to have to work with a bunch of people.

She started to bring the horses out, blindfolded and two at a time. It was difficult, but they all trusted her to the death, and she did not have too much trouble. However, it was taking a lot longer than she had thought. She swore quietly, before darting into the barn a fifth time.

There were three guys standing in the middle of the aisle. They all looked very confused, and were staggering around a little. Arina looked around, confused. How the hell had they gotten in here? No matter. She turned her attention back to them, quickly looking them over. (She never stopped moving towards the nearest occupied stalls.) The first two were…hot, beautiful even. They looked like her, which surprised her. But the third—Holy shit, did he have WINGS? She froze, then blinked. No, there weren't any wings. She looked at them suspiciously for a split second as she reached the stalls. She shook herself.

"Blindfold the horses and _get them out_. Take them two at a time if you can." She did not wait for a response, but grabbed two horses, blindfolded them, and quickly led them out. "Males," she muttered.

It had taken a week to get the spells together. One week, where Lucien prowled the Hall, everyone avoided him, Jaenelle and the coven snarled a lot as they tried to figure the spell out, and the Hall had a general, tense atmosphere, but within a few days, Jaenelle announced that they needed to move to the Keep, so they went.

Needless to say, when the spells were finally put together and ready, there was a great deal of relief, from everyone.

The coven had set up a huge tangled web in the keep, in the same place where Witch had unleashed the maelstrom. The web took up the entire east wall of the chamber, the multicolored strands twining around in strange, unheard-of patterns. Lucien was staring impatiently at the web, as he had been for the past…oh, say…ten hours. The witches were used to it by now, and were well versed in getting around him. Of course, he wasn't stupid, either, and kept to the west wall, but still…

"Done!" Karla crowed, waltzing into the huge dining room that currently housed everyone who had been at the first breakfast and seen that web. Everyone looked up, and Lucien focused on her. The entire coven came in, looking rather pleased, if tired.

"Not," Jaenelle said sharply, stopping Lucien with a freezing look as he started to get up, "until we have eaten. I have no idea what kind of journey the transition will be, and you are going to need your strength, just in case."

Lucien glowered, but reluctantly nodded and sat back down. There were a couple faint sighs of relief, which Lucien noted, his temper rising.

Several of the witches kept a close eye on him. Lucien wasn't bound to anyone, except perhaps his mother. That meant that when he rose to the killing edge, he was incredibly dangerous, because it was hard as hell to get a handle on him. He takes so much after his father that it is scary; he doesn't trust anyone (except sometimes his mother), so they can't get a handle on him. All of this contributed to why everyone was so desperate to get this girl, Arina here. Even from a distance, and through visions, she had an amazing amount of control over him. They were mates, everyone knew it. Even Kaelas knew it, and was looking forward to meet 'the kitten'. Both he and his mate were absolutely certain that the girl was feline under the skin, just as much as the Lady's mate and sons. A fact that the human males were taking in with a mixed reaction.

Lucien suffered through his meal, eating as quickly as he could. However, he could do nothing about the speed that the others were eating. To his credit, he did realize that they were eating rather faster than normal, and appreciated the gesture. Unfortunately, it wasn't really good enough for him, and he silently raged the entire meal.

When everyone had—finally—finished dinner, they made their way down to the chamber. Most everyone stopped dead in the entrance, stunned. The web was immense, far larger than anything they had ever seen. Even Saetan and Draca, were shocked. The web reached up almost one hundred feet, and was a good two hundred lengthwise. The web willed the entire chamber, and the chamber was a large one.

"Any tips?" Daemonar asked warily, eyeing it. None of them had ever gone through a gate, let alone something like this.

Lucien snapped to attention, staring narrow eyed at his cousin.

"Don't lose your head," Lucivar said after a moment of thought. "Whatever happens, do not panic."

"That's obvious, Uncle," Yaslana drawled. Lucien looked at him.

"I am going alone. I have no idea what the two of you are thinking, but you are not coming with me. This is dangerous enough, I don't need the complication." Lucien practically hissed the words, irritated. _And I certainly don't need you two to mess things up for me_, was what went unsaid. Judging from the scathing looks they gave him in response, they knew exactly what he meant. He glared at them, and they just looked back at him, raising eyebrows.

"Enough," Jaenelle snapped, turning all three young males attention on her. "You are all going, and do not look at me like that Lucien. You might need help, and I am certainly not sending you out into some strange world without someone else going with you. And yes, Lucien, that is an order."

Lucien nodded. He understood, and in any other circumstances would have approved, but not now. Now he wanted to go alone, get her, and bring her to safety. And that meant that his instincts were rising, and he was naturally being a pain in the ass. He simply could not stop his instincts—not that he wanted to—and his level of power tended to make things difficult.

He nodded again, more to himself this time as he mentally steadied himself.

"Are you three ready?" Saetan asked, looking between the three young warlord princes.

They all nodded, looking at the huge web.

Outside the Keep, the sun set. Inside the Keep, Witch activated the web, which yanked the three males out of the three realms, and onto the Winds of Earth. It was a slow process, however, and so it was almost five hours by the time they landed in a burning stable. At midnight. With a huge amount of panicking animals around them, and no guarantees that they were in the right place.

They looked around again, feeling the latent power in the place. Daemonar choked, Yaslana groaned, and Lucivar just shook his head. Kindred. They were surrounded by strong, kindred horses who had no knowledge of their heritage, or why they were so strange.

There was a small explosion above their heads, and the three males looked up in time to see the hay loft burst into flames. The blistering wave of heat had them staggering a little to the side.

To Lucien's horror, that was the moment that Arina chose to bolt into the barn.

_Into_ the barn? How many people do _that_? Normally, people run _away_ from a burning building.

However, the moment she entered, several of the horses calmed down immediately. They were, shockingly, male. The kindred trusted her, without knowing why, without really knowing who she is, and what they are.

It explains why she was insane enough to run into a burning building, with panicking horses, at the very least.

At that moment, she saw them. (Not the kindred, the Lucien, Yaslana, and Daemonar.) Her eyes widened, and she looked around quickly, suspiciously. Probably wondering how we got here, Lucien thought. She looked them over, and when she looked at Daemonar, her eyes went wide and she looked like she was going to faint. Daemonar hastily put a sight shield over his wings, and she marginally relaxed.

"Blindfold the horses and _get them out_. Take them two at a time if you can." She snapped at them, causing them to jump. Giving the males a scathing look, she followed her own instructions and bolted out.

Daemonar blinked. "That was unexpected," he muttered. Nevertheless, he moved over to a stall and called in some cloths, tossing them to the twins.

"Yes," Yaslana agreed dryly. "the last thing we need is for her to come back in and find that we haven't done anything. She'd kill us."

"Death is not exactly on my list of priorities," Lucien muttered to himself.

Daemonar groaned. She had continued getting horses out of the four burning barns for a good four hours. Lucien wasn't about to be parted from her, so he went. Which meant that, as protectors, Daemonar and Yaslana went as well. Four hours of panicked animals (who only behaved for Crystal), burning barns, and running around. He was ready to die. Right after he told his father just how much he had needed all that training. Eventually everyone but Arina had collapsed, exhausted. After a glare from the sprawled Lucien, Daemonar doggedly kept pace with her crazy running. _Sweet Darkness, just let me die…_he thought, exhausted beyond belief_. Just let me die…_

Lucien and Yaslana, meanwhile, had forced themselves to their feet, and rounded them up. Spotting Arina getting something out of one of the conveyances, they had brought all the horses over there, Yaslana dragging the unresisting Daemonar after them.

"What is all this?" Lucien demanded incredulously, pulling out a huge back, labeled _H&M_, and opened it, peering inside. Arina leaned over and snatched the bag back, leaving Lucien with barely a glimpse of the clothes inside.

"Nothing," she snapped, rather waspishly.

Yaslana snuck the bag out of her grip and vanished it, along with everything else in the car. Daemonar checked the rest of the car—there was nothing left. Daemonar nodded to Yaslana, who in turn nodded to Lucien. Unfortunately, Arina caught that last one.

"What is all this about?" she asked suspiciously, looking between them.

"Look," Yaslana said soothingly, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her, while Daemonar and Lucien sent psychic webs over the kindred horses. "Just don't panic and everything will be fine."

She stiffened, but before she could do anything else, all three young males reached for the deteriorating web that was the only link between Kaeleer and Earth. The strands were breaking, and it was most likely just in time that they grabbed on. Arina went limp, her breathing was shallow, and she looked like she was going to faint. Yaslana tightened his grip on her: Lucien would kill him if she fell in the webs and was broken or something.

Time passed. They were trying hard to reach the end before the web fell apart, so the males were pulling all of the power from their jewels, and themselves. With all the extra passengers though, they were only going at the speed that they had come to Earth.

They were still about two hours from the end of the web when Daemonar started to falter. Yaslana and Lucien put more of their own power into the web, but it didn't take long for Yaslana to falter.

Lucien quietly panicked. His thoughts running in circles, he wondered just how upset Arina would be if he dropped the horses.

*Don't even think about it.*

He froze. Was that really Arina?

*Hello?* he sent, nervous.

*You need power? Fine. Take mine. But don't you dare let do of the horses.* It seemed that she couldn't hear him. _She probably doesn't even know that she is doing it,_ he thought. _And what power?_

A flood of raw, terrifying, uncontrolled power slammed into him, before flooding out onto the webs. The speed which they were speeding along the webs was thrilling, if terrifying, and the hold on the kindred was suddenly rock hard. For the first time, Lucien sensed the presence of a kindred dog. Looking over at Arina, he saw the huge animal trembling beside her, her hand absently stroking his back soothingly, her silver eyes unfocused, and empty, staring into the distance. Lucien shivered.

There were advantages. It was only just over a half hour later that they reached Kaeleer, and as soon as they exited the web the whole thing collapsed. Apparently the only thing holding it together was Arina's power.

Jaenelle frowned, and looked around, then back at the web. It was crumbling quickly, the threads turning black all too soon. The entire thing was right on the verge of collapse. The entire coven had gathered around Jaenelle and Mirian, Karla looked at Jaenelle inquiringly, tilting her head to the side.

"I thought I heard something," she murmured to the Glacian Queen. "I must have been imagining it." Sadness lurked in her voice. It was understandable reaction; her two oldest were about to be trapped in another world, with no way to get back.

The sudden wash of dark, dark power rolling up from the abyss, however, was not something any of them imagined. Lucivar, Daemon and Saetan all rushed in, along with the first circle males, who fanned out and got in front of the coven. There was another wash of power, and the transport web exploded out wards, completely black.

Dropping off the web, an exhausted Daemonar appeared, promptly collapsing onto the ground breathing hard. Both his Red Jewel and his Ebon-gray were completely drained, and strained to the point of shattering. Lucien appeared a few seconds after his cousin, his Jewels equally empty.

It was, however, the last appearance that sent everyone into various states of shock.

What looked like a whole herd of horses, all kindred, a huge kindred dog, and Yaslana, who was carrying the young woman that they had seen in the tangled web. She slowly stood up, moving away from Yaslana as quickly as possible, looking around with defiance in her eyes. The dog whuffed softly, loping back to her side. She gently stroked his head, glaring around.

"Who the hell are you people?" she demanded, her voice cold as ice. "Where am I, and how in the name of all that is holy did I get here?"

**Ok people, I am very sorry that this took so long to update. In hindsight, it probably wasn't the best idea to start to write four stories at the same time. Trying to work on all four at the same time is hell, but hey, I'm trying. So, school started a couple of weeks ago, so it will almost always be a long time between updates. Now, please, please, please, PLEASE, update. You know you want to! I am totally open to suggestions!**

**REVIEW!**

**\ /**

**\ /**

**\ /**

**\ /**

**\/**


	3. Chapter 3

"_Who the hell are you people?" she demanded, her voice cold as ice. "Where am I, and how in the name of all that is holy did I get here?"_

"Arina…" Lucien started, moving towards her. She froze him with a look.

"That's another thing," she hissed. "How do you know who I am?" The dog at her side snarled viciously. "Hush, Janos," she said absently, her hand going to his head without one looking at him, still glaring at the room, and those in it.

"I am Jaenelle," The tall, woman with long blonde hair said soothingly. Arina's eyes narrowed in warning. "This is my family." At this, Arina raised her eyebrows in disbelief. Very few of them looked alike, although there were some similarities, she wasn't about to believe that she was related to a centaur. Honestly!

"I see…" she drawled out, skeptically.

"You are in the Keep, in Kaeleer. As for how you got here… the web brought you here." Jaenelle looked over at the remains of the tangled web and sighed. It had taken hours to put that thing together, and it had fallen apart so quickly. Arina turned around, following her gaze and stared hard at the blackened pieces. Jaenelle gratefully used the distraction to put a subtle sleep spell on the girl, and she collapsed. Draca glided forward and picked up the girl before leaving for the prepared rooms.

Janos, a perfect Warlord Prince, tried to follow, but he was caught by another sleep spell.

Everyone breathed in a sigh of relief, and Karla, Gabrielle and Jaenelle exchanged meaningful looks. Lucien frowned.

"What is it, Mother?" he asked, somewhat wary.

"She is a Black Widow and a Queen," Gabrielle explained, frowning slightly. "A dangerous combination, and she is already so old, with no training."

"And she is strong," Jaenelle said softly. "Very strong. She will have a very strong Jewel, though I cannot tell which one."

"We knew that she was strong," Daemonar commented slowly. "We were falling apart not even halfway in, and the web started to deteriorate not long after that. We would have died in there, broken, if she hadn't channeled her power and saved us."

"That's impossible. She doesn't have her jewels yet, she couldn't channel power on a thread made for the Black and Ebon-gray without them." Saetan was trying very hard to sound strong, firm and sure, but was failing miserably as he realized what that meant, and what Jaenelle had said. "Mother night," he groaned.

Daemon had paled a bit as well, but was trying valiantly to fight it.

"What are we going to do?" he asked steadily. Jaenelle flashed a quick smile at him.

"Well, first, we are going to get her birthright ceremony taken care of. She doesn't look that much more than 16, so she isn't ready for the offering yet. After that," Jaenelle shrugged. "The coven and I will teach her everything that she needs to know, I'm sure Lucivar can take care of her training…not that she will be happy about it…and then? I'm not sure. We will have to get her to trust us though, or everything will be impossible."

"I have some of her stuff," Yaslana said suddenly. "Should I go put it in her room?"

"Yes," Jaenelle said firmly. "Right now, anything familiar for her is a good thing."

Yaslana nodded before darting out of the room after Draca.

Lucien stared after him, but before he could follow, Daemon dropped a hand on his shoulder and steered him out of the room. "Come on, son, let's talk." Lucien groaned. A talk with his father, after finally finding his Queen. Wonderful.

Yaslana quickly caught up with Draca, quietly following behind her.

"Here," Draca said, stopping in front of a huge door. Going and opening the door, Yaslana froze in shock. The walls were smoothed to a shine, and the wood floor was covered by rugs from Dharo. The furniture was huge and beautifully crafted. The perfect room. They were in the corridor of the Queen of Ebon Aviski, and in front of the door to Jaenelle's suite. He stared at Draca in shock.

"Jaenelle knows. She suggested it, in fact. She is no longer the Queen of Ebon Avaski, but she," Draca looked down at the girl in her arms, "Is. This is her place now."

Yaslana nodded slowly, still stunned, and stepped out of the way of the door. Draca crossed the smooth floor and laid Arina on the bed. Yaslana called in the things from the vehicle that he had vanished and placed them on the floor. They left the room quietly, and parted ways, Draca going somewhere, and Yaslana to the dining room where everyone else was gathered.

"Well?" Lucien demanded as soon as he walked in the door. Yaslana ignored him for a moment, turning to his mother.

"You put her in your room?" he said, still disbelieving.

Jaenelle nodded. "She is the Queen of Ebon Avaski now, not I. It is her place."

"What? She is Witch, too?"

Jaenelle nodded again. "After all," she reminded them, "she was strong enough to hold the web on the way here, without Jewels."

Lucien ignored this, for the moment. "And? How is she?"

"She's asleep, Lucien!" Yaslana snapped. "I don't know how she is! She looked fine, but that doesn't mean anything, does it?"

Lucien growled, pacing frantically. "Sorry," he finally muttered.

"My spell will fade at dawn, so she could wake up right after that, I don't know. But, Lucien," Jaenelle studied her son critically, then gave Yaslana and Daemonar the same scrutiny. "You all need rest," she told them, changing sentences. "I know for a fact that doing what you did was difficult, bordering on impossible. You need rest." None of them argued. They knew better than to argue with that look. They all went off to bed and, trying desperately to shake off their unease, the others all followed. No one noticed that Rose hadn't followed. She was still in the dining room, looking thoughtful.

So, she wasn't Witch. This…Arina, she was. That was fine with her. She was much like her mother, and never wanted the power in the first place. And besides, it would be fun to have a sister, instead of brothers. Sure, one of her brothers was quite obviously obsessed with her. That didn't really mean much. Everything was about to change. And Arina was at the center of it all.

Rose smiled. This was going to interesting.

Arina groaned. Something was off. The young girl sat up abruptly, her hard gaze flitting around the room. She stopped dead, horrified.

She had no idea where she was.

Arina looked around again, more carefully. The room was huge, and really rather gorgeous. Her head tipped to the side, considering. The elegant furniture was obviously of the best make, and probably expensive. The rugs were exquisite, as were the gleaming walls. From what she could see of an opened door, the bathroom was a marvel. Still, nothing was familiar. The next second, her gaze landed on the multitudes of bags that practically covered the floors.

She smiled. Those were familiar—she remembered the fun that she had had shopping the day before. Still, she had the strangest feeling that she was forgetting something, something very important…

Arina slowly got out of the huge bed, giving it a quick once over. She closed her eyes briefly. The utterly gigantic bed was wonderful, really it was, but … it was _so_ not her style. She looked around the room speculatively. Yes…the rugs were fine, but not really fitting for her. The wood pieces were all dark enough, though, and the walls were incredible. Now all she needed were some other rugs, tapestries, and things. The furniture she would leave alone.

The young Queen looked down at herself. She sighed. She was dressed in an old-fashioned, full length nightgown. Honestly, what the hell? She frowned, then sat back down on the bed. Closing her eyes, Arina took a deep breath, thinking back.

Yesterday….there was the fire! There was a flash of red light in her mind, and everything flooded back to her. She looked around again.

Who the hell were these people? The Keep, that woman had said…well, Arina had never heard of it. The web…that was a good explanation for that strange sensation, but it didn't make any sense.

Arina stood back up, and then moved over to her bags. She pulled out a pair of jeans, and a black shirt. Putting them on, she walked resolutely over to the door. It was time to get some answers.

She opened the door, and was promptly bowled over by Janos, who had apparently been waiting in the hall. Kneeling down, she hugged him tightly for a moment, before getting up and slipping through the halls.

She had been moving for a while before she realized that she wasn't moving on her own. She was following a call. Pausing, Arina looked around. Janos had disappeared a while ago. She was completely alone. Arina sighed, and then started moving again. This time, she simply closed her eyes and followed the call blindly, moving faster and faster. If her eyes had been opened, she would have seen herself passing through walls, then a set of huge double doors opened for her and she went down a flight of steps. The call faded, and she opened her eyes.

The simple throne in front of her held her attention for all of a second before she was caught in the midnight gaze of the huge dragon. They stared at each other for a long moment.

"Hello." She finally said.

*Greetings. You are Arina.*

"Yes…did you just speak in my mind?"

*Yes. Sit. There is much to tell you, and I have little time to do so.*

Arina slowly sank down to the floor, seating herself right in front of the dragon.

"Who are you?" she asked quietly.

*I am Lorn. Now. Listen closely….*

However, in the end, the dragon didn't explain things to Arina, so much as he gave her memories and implanted the protocol of the Blood deep in her mind. It took hours for him to imprint his knowledge in her mind, and in the end, she was almost unconscious as her mind struggled to contain the knowledge that he had given her. He reached back into her mind, and quieted the memories, leaving them smaller and quiet in the back of her mind. When the Coven taught her what she needed to know, their lessons would slowly reawaken the knowledge, which would keep her from slipping into the Twisted Kingdom from the shock.

*Are you all right?* Lorn asked Arina carefully.

"Yes…" she said faintly, then took a deep breath and pushed herself up. "I'm fine, really."

*Look,* Lorn told her, his voice gentle. She followed his gaze to the small alter on the dais to the side that she hadn't noticed before that moment. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight of the large, glittering dark Red Jewel laying there.

"Oh," she whispered. "It's beautiful."

*It is strong,* the dragon agreed. *Remember that, Arina.*

She paused again, looking thoughtful. She tilted her head back to look at Lorn. "What about Janos?"

*Who is Janos?*

"My dog," she murmured. "My best friend."

*Oh, he and the horse kindred have also been taught the basics about this world, with more to come.*

"Horse kindred?"

*Yes, the one's from that stable you were found at, in the other world. A large amount of them were kindred, so they were taken here as well.* Lorn paused, looking at her faint expression. *Are you all right, my dear?*

"Fine…fine." Arina shook herself. "How many?" she asked nervously.

*What was that?*

"How many of the kindred were there? How many came with us?"

Lorn thought for a moment. *Twenty-seven horses, and of course, the kindred dog that continues to insist on following you. He is very devoted. I do not think that Lucien likes him very much.*

"Lucien…" Arina mused, quietly. "Who exactly is Lucien?"

Lorn sent a memory of Lucien into her mind, pressing gently against her inner barriers. *This is Prince Lucien SaDiablo.*

"Ah. I remember him." There was a quiet pause while she thought about that. "It's none of my concern, thankfully." She rose gracefully to her feet and bowed to Lorn, who lowered his head in reply. She smiled, and then turned and glided out of the throne room of the Dark Throne without another word.

Lorn watched the young Witch glide out of the hall. He had no doubt that she could be a chilling figure, but was also at the same time caring and loving. She had definite facets to her personality, and may the darkness help those who woke the darkness in her.

Her belief that Lucien was not a problem that she needed to worry about was a problem for the Prince to solve—if he wanted her, he was going to have to work for it. She didn't hate him, but she didn't care for him either. He would have to get her to care for him—and he would have to break through the barrier she had placed around herself.

When he had been teaching her everything that she needed to know, giving her his memories, he had received some memories in return. They were quietly chilling. She had not been abused like Jaenelle, but her childhood was full of hate and neglect. Both Witches were scarred, but not unbearably. She would heal, and become what she was meant to be. She would be safe here.

But what on earth was she planning to do with her room?

Arina hadn't gone more than two halls before Janos found her. "There you are," she crooned, kneeling down to stroke him.

*Lady.* he sent. Arina sat back on her heels and looked at him thoughtfully.

"Thank you, my dear." She told him. She climbed to her feet. "Do you know where the horses are, by any chance?" Janos gave her a wounded look—he had wanted her to himself more. But he got up and trotted down the halls, Arina following close behind.

"Goodness, how big is this place?" she asked several minutes later, amazed. Thankfully, a moment later they were exiting the mountain, and the stables were right in front of them. "Finally," she muttered, breaking into a run.

The stables were like heaven. The stable had always been a haven for her, somewhere that she could work, and still be loved, and learn to love herself. That was still true here, and she went down the rows, greeting her old friends, giving them treats, and stroking them.

And for the first time, to her delight, they said hello back to her. _This place is amazing_, she thought. _I could be happy here._ There was a brief flash of memory from her old home, and she shook herself. _I wasn't happy there_, she reminded herself. _I am happy here. This is the place for me. _ She smiled brightly.

Arina would have given anything to keep going all day, but the crash course session that severely strained her mind, followed by hours of activity with the horses, after only a few hours of sleep, along with powering the web that bound the two worlds together, all without any food, was taking a harsh toll on her. She couldn't see straight, she was staggering, and…and…

Janos looked down the hall and sighed. His Queen was with the horses, and she didn't need him. He sighed again.

Perking up, Janos watched as his Queen stepped away from the stalls. His eyes narrowed. She wasn't walking properly, and she wasn't looking very well…Janos leapt to his feet and bolted down the hall. He managed to catch her before she hit the ground, but it was close. Lowering the Lady carefully to the floor, Janos bolted for the doors.

The Warlord Prince bolted unceremoniously past everyone, barging into the different rooms, looking for something in particular. His Lady's mate. Barging into the large dining room, everyone looked up startled. Janos stared straight at Lucien, ignoring everyone else. *Come. The Lady is hurt. She needs you.* then he turned and ran in the other direction, back to the stables.

Lucien stared after the kindred Warlord Prince. The Lady was hurt? But Jaenelle was sitting right next to him! What—

The kindred called Witch the Lady. Jaenelle had said that Arina was Witch. The Warlord Price served Arina.

Lucien swore and leapt after the dog.

**As always, I own nothing.**

**Sorry for the long wait, however.**

**REVIEW!**


	4. Chapter 4

Lucien paced furiously across the hall, back and forth and back and forth, in front of Arina's door. He wasn't the most patient of people at the best of times, and right now his temper, along with his nerves, was at a breaking point.

After finding an unconscious and very near to dead Arina in the stable, he had picked her up and raced her into the Keep, searching frantically for Jaenelle, Karla, and Gabrielle. After that, they had taken Arina and locked themselves in Arina's room. No one had entered or left for almost seven hours now, and Lucien was right on the verge of breaking down the door to find out what was happening.

"Lucien." Daemon's deep voice flowed over him, and he slowly turned to stare at his father. Daemon Sadi was leaning against the wall, just watching him. Daemon sighed and pushed himself of the wall, moving over to Lucien's side. "Look, nothing you do is going to help, and you are making everyone nervous." Daemon tapped Lucien's Black Jewel, which he had unconsciously called in.

Reluctantly, Lucien let his father steer him away from the door, looking over his shoulder.

They both knew that Lucien was more powerful than his father. Just like Daemon Sadi, the first mirror, was stronger than his father, so too was Lucien SaDiablo stronger than his father. Lucien could have stayed if he wanted to, but he understood that his staying right outside the door might be a hindrance rather than a help. So he let his father pull him over to the dinning room—the one place in the Keep, other than the library, where everyone from the coven and first circle along with their children tended to gather. Everyone looked over when they entered. "Well, it's about time!" Rose exclaimed. She leaned forward and handed him a coffee before throwing her arm around him. "How are you?" she asked sympathetically. He gave her this look. She shrugged at him. "Relax. She sounded like she was in very bad shape."

"I just want to know why she was in bad shape." He said evenly.

"Well, that wasn't what I was going for," she muttered. She leaned against him, tucking her legs against herself, smiling slightly in contentment. Lucien smiled slightly. It had always amazed him, the relationship that he had with his sister. He was too much like his father—he was not very comfortable with women, other than his mother. Still, he was completely comfortable with his sister. It probably had something to do with the fact the she simply ignored it when he started to get irritated, and eventually, he just got used to it. By now, he barely even noticed her when she did things like this.

Despite his anxiety about Arina, being with everyone was starting to relax him. Leaning against the back of the chair, Lucien listened to the quiet stories circulating in the large room, the quiet reunions, and the louder games of the kids. This was his home, his family. Everyone in this room had been a part of his life for longer than he could remember; they all cared, and they all did their best to help him. It would have felt strange if they hadn't been here for this.

Still, they were all alert, waiting and listening to the movements and spells taking place upstairs, where Jaenelle, Karla and Gabrielle were working on Arina. Lucien twitched. Rose pressed against him slightly in warning. Now was not the time. Lucien settled.

It was nearly an entire hour latter when Gabrielle and Jaenelle came into the dinning room. Everyone looked at them, and silence came very quickly. Lucien started to get to his feet, but stopped when Jaenelle held up her hand.

"Lucien, sit. Relax. She is fine."

"What happened?" He demanded, his voice hostile. Everyone flinched. It looked like Jaenelle was losing her hold on her son, now that he had his mate.

"She is seriously malnourished—it looks like she hasn't eaten in weeks. There is also a serious case of exhaustion, from powering the web, and Lorn says that he taught her everything that she needed to know in one sitting, even if was repressed for us to wake up, so there is that. In addition, there is the shock that the situation brought on her. It was difficult in the beginning, because she was resisting, but she's fine now. She'll sleep for as long as she needs, and Mrs. Beale is making her all the food that she needs. Every time that she wakes up, there will be food for her. Everything is fine, dear. She just needs time to heal. Please, relax."

Lucien nodded tightly, unhappy. He understood that she needed time. But it wasn't going to be easy for him.

"It's been a week!" Lucien snarled.

Lucivar, reading the signs of rising tempers, had taken Daemonar, Yaslana and Lucien to Ebon Rih, and then set them loose on each other to work the tension out. It was a little nerve racking to realize that all three of them were so upset about Arina. They were all going to be part of her court, he just wanted to know what positions that they would have.

Still, they were right. Jaenelle had told him that she was completely healed—all she needed now was to come out of her room. She was eating properly, and sleeping on normal patterns. But she just wasn't coming out of her room. She had suggested that he take the boyo's out of the area and tell then what was going to happen. She offered Daemon to help him, but Lucivar declined. He could handle it, he insisted. Now, he wasn't so sure.

"I'm going to start training her." He announced abruptly.

"Training her, as in hauling her forcibly out of bed and down to the training fields?" Lucien asked warily, stopping what he was doing. The other two boys stopped as well and turned to stare at Lucivar.

He scowled at them dangerously, and they started moving again. "Yes. She needs to get in shape, and come out of her room. This is the ideal solution."

Lucien frowned. But then….he was right. She needed that, so he would go along with it. Even if he didn't like it.

"Fine," he grunted.

Lucivar relaxed slightly. If Lucien was fine with it, then the others would accept it. Somehow, he didn't think that any of them were happy with it, but then, they didn't have to be. Abruptly, he grinned. Tomorrow was going to be interesting.

Arina stared at her ceiling. _This place is so strange,_ she thought. _I don't understand anything here._

For a moment, she remembered what had happened when she had woken up after collapsing in the stables.

_Flashback_

"_Ohh…" Arina groaned slightly, shifting in place. She tried to open her eyes, and after a moment, she found her eyelids in order to open them. She dragged them up just as a slight pressure settled on her bed. Arina turned her head. _

"_Kiss kiss," the white blonde woman said lightly. Arina blinked at her._

"_Um…who are you?" she groaned. _

"_Karla. How are you feeling?"_

"_Like I was run over by a giant truck," Arina muttered darkly. "What happened?"_

_Karla gave her a curious look. "Well, you will be sore for a while," she told Arina. "And as to what happened, your body couldn't handle what had happened. Too much, too fast. And on top of that, Jewels are very draining. If you don't give your body fuel, your Jewels will start to consume your body. So you shut down. Simply collapsed. You were in such bad shape, without any food…it was a difficult healing. You've been asleep for two days."_

"_I couldn't eat anything," Arina murmured softly. "Every time I tried, my system wouldn't take it, and I would puke. It was bad, but there was nothing I could do."_

_Karla stared at her. "Anyway, the Warlord Prince dog—"_

"_Janos?"_

"_Yes, him. He managed to catch you before you hurt yourself, and then went to find Lucien, and he got us—Jaenelle, Gabrielle and me, that is. We managed to stabilize you in time, but it was close."_

"_Alright. I get that. I do. I just have one question."_

"_Yes?"_

"_Why does everyone keep talking about Lucien to me? Is there a reason that I should care about him?"_

_Karla looked horrified. "Oh, mother night," she groaned. "Well… you'll see…in time…"_

_End flashback_

She smiled faintly, and slowly sat up. Her room was now really her room, and the decorations that she had added made it seem like home. Her first real home. It was perfect. She got out of bed slowly, and started moving. Janos looked up from her bed as she walked over to the bathroom, and then he whuffed and put his head back down. He had slipped into her room one night when she was asleep, and had stayed with her ever since.

She had just finished getting dressed in one of her tight black suits, when a huge guy with wings burst into the room. She whirled to face him, but he had already tossed her over his shoulder and was hauling her out the door before she could get adjusted. Janos jumped off the bed and tore after them, snarling fiercely.

The man swore, and then picked up speed, till he was running down the hall. Arina considered kneeing him in the balls, but then he hit stairs and launched himself into the air, and she decided that distracting him like that would be a very, _very _bad idea. On the other hand, he looked like he had a definite destination, that was coming up very quickly. In which case, kneeing him in the balls would be alright—with her, at least.

On the practice field…

Lucien stopped mid-stroke at the sound of furious barking. He, along with everyone else on the training field, turned to face the Keep. Lucivar was flying towards them, carrying Arina over his shoulder. The kindred dog that followed Arina everywhere was tearing along the ground behind them, barking his head off. Lucivar landed neatly on the ground in the middle of the field, his knees bent slightly. There was a momentary pause, and then Lucivar tipped forward, howling. Arina leapt clear, rolling to her feet with a snarl.

"You—" she started, furious, but Lucivar cut her off, lunging for her with a deep growl. She yelped and twisted out of the way of his stick/blade thing, then dodged again. "What is your _problem_?" She demanded, backing up quickly. "Other than that," she amended. "And I was completely justified! You burst into my room and kidnapped me! You deserved it!"

*Did she…?* Daemonar asked him, slightly awed.

Lucien remembered her position when Lucivar had dropped her, and was fairly sure that his jaw dropped. *She did.*

*Mother night.*

Arina hissed, then swung around to face him. "Give me that!" she grabbed his practice stick, and dodged another strike form Lucivar, before making a beeline for open ground. What and with his wings Lucivar got there first, having slightly recovered.

"Alright, witchling," he snarled. "Defend yourself."

"That's what you want? You could have just asked!" she growled, glaring at Lucivar. He gave her a thoughtful look. Looked over at Jaenelle, who was watching, along with the rest of the Coven. "Call time," he told them.

Jaenelle smiled.

This fight was different from any that Lucien had seen before. His uncle wasn't holding back, but Arina simply kept slipping away from him. Her style of fighting was so strange, nothing that Lucivar did would land on her. Every time he got close, she would—somehow—slip out of trouble. It looked like it was taking a toll on her, though. She looked exhausted, and was having to concentrate fiercely. Daemonar, standing right next to him, was watching with narrowed eyes.

Arina avoided direct contact as much as she could. She didn't have the strength to compete with him physically, but her small lithe body meant that she was much better at moving, and so that's what she did. She just didn't stop moving, and kept turning around, forcing Lucivar to turn with her. Because of that, it took Lucivar nearly the entire ten minutes to beat her. He finally managed to get several direct strikes in. Arina held up under the first four, but when the fifth hit her, she gasped, and dropped her stick from clearly numbed fingers.

"Ouch…" she mumbled, sinking down to the ground before she fell over, shaking her hands out weakly.

Lucivar stretched, looking slightly happier than before.

"Feeling better?" she asked darkly, picking up the stick again and wincing to herself.

"Yes, actually," Lucivar said calmly, while she snarled under her breath.

"What was that for!" she cried, though quietly, glaring at Lucivar balefully. "I was fine, what possessed you to do that!"

"You were fine."

"As well as could be expected," she snapped.

"What do you mean?" Daemonar asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"I don't know who any of you are, I am in a strange world that I came to via a _web_ of all things, and…and…and who_ knows_ what else! You think that I'm _ok_? _No_, I _am not okay_!"

Everyone flinched.

"I just… Oh, I don't know! But what ever it is, you aren't helping!" She flared angrily, getting to her feet, slightly shakily. Lucien and Daemonar both stepped forward to help her, but stopped at the expression on her face and the grim tightening hold on the practice still. Wisely, they both stepped back.

"Defend yourself," she muttered as she hobbled towards the Hall. "Humph. Crazy, stupid, dumbassed…" her voice trailed off as she wobbled off.

Everyone looked at Janos, who was still sitting on the field as he got up. *She different now. Calm. Happy. Still hurt, but better. Time all needs.* the dog told them before bounding after her, leaving them staring after the kindred dog with a sigh.

"Time. Great, just what I need," Lucien muttered. "More waiting."

Arina reached her room, slipped inside, and slammed the door as hard as she could. For a moment, she glared at the door, before forcefully reminding herself that the door wasn't causing her problems. She quickly turned around and swept her gaze over her room. The bed was no longer a large fourposter, but a circle, in the far corner beneath the windows. There was a sort of shimmering gauze net hanging over it, inspired by the nets used in rainforests to keep out the bugs. On the walls were tapestries of landscapes and animals; she kept the rugs and most of the other furniture around the room. Her stuff was now scattered all over the room, clothes on the bed, in the wardrobe, and on chairs; books stacked haphazardly all over the room; CD's and the radio by her bed; and everything else was lying around all over the room. It was chaos—and she loved it.

Arina had taken about two steps towards the bed when there was a whine at her door. *Arina?* Janos called. Arina turned back to the door and opened it for Janos, closing it again once he was in the room. The young Queen sighed, then went to her bed and flopped backwards onto it. She groaned at the ceiling.

*Hurt?* Janos asked in concern.

"No, just…confused."

*But why?* Janos demanded. He just couldn't understand why she would groan if she wasn't hurt. Arina just shook her head and sighed.

"Never mind, Janos. It doesn't really matter." She was silent for a long moment. "Part of me really likes this place, but the other part is still saying that I can't trust anyone here, only myself. I don't know what to do!"

**Right. So, this is the next chapter. Thank you, everyone who reviewed. Please, keep doing it. Everyone else, I would really appreciate it if you could write some reviews. Suggestions are welcome!**

**Sorry about the long wait, but I can't help it. I'm trying, if it helps at all.**

**Review!**


	5. Chapter 5

"When Arina woke up the next morning, it took her a long moment to remember the events of the day before. It came back to her slowly: getting hauled out of the room, the training yard, and her slight mental breakdown, before going down to talk to Lorn a bit, trying to get a handle on herself, and finishing up in the stables. It had been a busy day, but another one was ahead of her. There could be no more hiding in her room. She had to face the world. Arina shivered. It was a scary thought. All of her protective barriers had broken when Lorn had given his crash lesson. There was nothing to hide behind now. But still, she was not the kind of person to hide her entire life. She would live it, and live it well. _Starting now_, she thought grimly, climbing out of bed. _This is my life now. I need to live it, not hide from it_.

Unfortunately, this notion started to waver when she stared at her closet. The selection that she had to choose from…why oh why did she even bother to go shopping, it just made everything so much more difficult…did she really have to get dressed? She didn't mind going in her nightgown, not really. She sighed, then reached into her closet and pulled out the first things that she touched. _Don't be a baby_, she chided herself. _No one is going to bite you._

Once dressed, she slid into the bathroom to get ready for the day, only to find that her god forsaken period had started. Arina swore viciously, in a return of her former spirit, letting loose a stream of curses, before finally taking care of it.

It took several minutes for her to remember what she had come into the bathroom for. Arina sighed, and then quickly washed her face. She applied make-up hesitantly—she had never done it before, she hadn't had the time—let alone the inclination. She didn't have any reason to make an effort. But considering some of the women she had seen around, she would need the make-up. Besides, spending any time out of her room at home was fraught with peril. The young girl snorted bitterly. That was supposed to be a joke. Not for me, she thought. In the end, she didn't even glance at herself before hurrying out of the bathroom. She did not need to see her reflection and fall apart in nerves. Moving silently through the halls, Arina soon reached the dinning room. She stopped outside the door, listening. No one sounded angry or upset, so she took a deep breath, and then walked into the room. Silence fell very quickly.

Steadfastly ignoring them all, she walked over to the buffet table and picked up a plate. Why wouldn't they just talk? Focusing nervously on the spread, she noticed just how much food was spread out. She sighed. In all of her life, she hadn't eaten as much as she did here. The amount of calories that these people consumed! Honestly—steak, for breakfast? Not so much. Still none of them looked even remotely overweight. Underweight, if anything. How did they do it? But then…she was like that, too. She could eat all day, and not gain an ounce. Maybe it was something to do with the Blood? She did remember something that Lorn had told her about their metabolism…but she couldn't remember what it was.

In the end, two sausages, one piece of toast, a small spoonful of scrambled eggs, and four strawberries made it onto her plate. She surveyed the drinks available and finally selected a glass of milk, with a grimace. No orange juice, how _did _these people survive…going to the table to sit down, she nibbled on her toast and stared into space. Around her, no one said a word, and she finally couldn't take it anymore. She looked up. "What?"

Lucien stabbed at his steak with his fork. Arina hadn't shown up to practice, but then, yesterday had been trying for her, and Lucivar had forgotten to tell her when they practiced, in addition. But now, it was halfway through breakfast, and she still wasn't here. A low growl to his right told him that Daemonar had arrived. Shifting over to make room for his cousin, Lucien started to pick up the tensions in the room. Pretty much all of the second generation were varying degrees of annoyed. The older Circle was looking thoughtful, and Saetan looked slightly amused. For the life of him, Lucien couldn't figure it out.

That was right about when the door to the dinning room opened.

Looking over with everyone else, Lucien's jaw dropped. Conversations stopped as everyone stared at Arina. Lucien saw red.

The girl didn't even seem to notice what she was wearing! Unfortunately, everyone else did.

There were the trousers, for a start. They were tight, black and silver, and made of a strange material that caught and sometimes reflected the light. She was wearing a slim white belt, which was studded with red stones.

Her top was also skin tight, and very thin. The long sleeved shirt underneath, was a formfitting black, with silver threads. Above that, she wore a pale white top, threaded with gold. She was also wearing several lose bracelets, and one gold one in the shape of a dragon that was twining up her arm. Her hair was pulled back with a gold band, and hung loose. In her ears were two sapphires.

But, more than that….

Moon's Blood! She was on her moon's blood, and she—

Lucien took a deep breath. Relax, he thought frantically. Don't—

Which was, naturally, when he caught sight of what she seemed to think was going to pass for breakfast. Getting up, he stormed over to the buffet and started to load a plate with real food. Then stormed back over to her, still seeing red. Nibbling at her toast, Arina suddenly looked up at him. "What?" she asked, confused. Not bothering to answer, Lucien simply picked up her plate and replaced it with the one that he had filled for her. She stared at it, then at him, in dumbfounded amazement. "You must be joking," she said, astonished.

He growled. She stared at it again.

"Give me back my plate! I can take care of myself, thank you very much!"

"EAT IT." He growled at her.

"I am _not_ eating _steak_ for _breakfast!_ That is just wrong! What is with you people?" She paused and looked at him more closely. "Lucien…:" she asked slowly, "why are you twitching?"

He somehow managed to suppress a growl, and her expression slowly changed from furious, to calm.

"Look," she said calmly, "I'm eating. Ok? Calm down." Eating the steak—no matter how unappealing it looked—Arina kept a careful eye on Lucien, which soon drifted over to Daemonar, and then Yaslana…and every male in the room, but particularly the younger generation…oh, dear. Moontime—that was what she had forgotten! Her period was driving them up the wall! That was going to get messy—there was no way she was going to laze around during the cycle. Oh, hell no. She looked back at Lucien, then around the room. Or maybe she was. Damn Warlord Princes. Always have to be right.

Slowly eating the steak, Arina shot a pleading glance towards the other ladies. They grinned at her, clearly having no intention of helping. Arina resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at them, and turned back to her food, grumbling.

Picking over her plate, Arina slowly managed to eat half of the steak, and a few mouthfuls of the eggs before determinedly pushing the plate back and standing up. Lucien growled, and she snarled back, turning for the door. She stopped dead two seconds later, staring at Daemonar, who was leaning calmly against the door, blocking her way out. Her eyes narrowed, and her arms crossed reflexively. He smirked at her. She smiled sweetly at him. Considering her attitude, everyone was sure that she was up to something.

"Let. Me. Out. Now."

Daemonar considered her, smiling. "No."

Her eyes narrowed. Daemonar's smile grew. She looked at him for a long moment, and then groaned quietly.

"Will you at least let Janos in, so I have one friend?" Arina growled at him in obvious surrender.

Daemonar hesitated, but then shrugged. Keeping his eyes fixed on Arina, he took a step forward and opened the door.

Janos jumped on him from behind, slamming him into the ground while Arina bolted from the room quite possibly faster than he had ever seen anyone move before. The huge dog promptly leapt off of Daemonar and followed after her, while everyone else was still in a state of slight shock at the speed of the attack.

"That was the stupidest thing…" Daemonar growled as he scrambled to his feet and raced after the dog. Lucien was already out the door and halfway down the corridor by the time that Daemonar caught up with him.

"I can't believe that you fell for that!" Yaslana said darkly, catching up to the pair. "Oldest trick in the book—the dog would do anything for her, and everyone knows it but you!"

"Shut up," Daemonar growled. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" he chanted to himself.

The three SaDiablo males shot into the hall where Arina's room was, and came to an abrupt halt outside the huge door. Janos was sitting in front of the door, glaring at the approaching Warlord Princes.

"Move," Lucien growled. The dog just stared at him, and didn't move. Behind the trio, more males arrived from the hall, looking decidedly irritated.

*Not welcome,* Janos finally told them. *Lady not pleased.*

"Can I knock?" Yaslana said quickly, before Daemonar or Lucien could say something stupid. Janos moved slightly to the side, obviously giving permission. Both the other SaDiablo males in the hall gave him decidedly dark looks, which the canine Warlord Prince simply ignored.

"Arina," Yaslana coaxed, "Open the door, please."

There was a resounding crack, and the door vibrated. "Get lost," she shouted, no small amount of panic in her voice. "Leave me alone!"

"Arina—"

"I mean it, I—" there was an abrupt thud, and then, "Ow!"

Every single male in the hall lunged for the door, pouring into her room. There was no sign of her, and there was a splint second of panic. Her head popped up from behind the bed, scowling darkly.

"Are you all right?" Dmitri asked anxiously, stopping just short of grabbing her.

"I'm fine," she said indignantly. "I just fell of the stupid bed. It's too big, anyway. There's only one of me. What could I possibly need all this space for?" she complained under her breath. She looked around, suddenly nervous. "Wait a minute, what the hell are you all doing in here?"

"And you were doing so well," Rose said with a grin. "Males—out. Now. We need to have a girl chat. Why don't you all go get that breakfast that Arina didn't eat?"

Arina took a deep breath, and stopped shaking. "Out," she agreed firmly. "I'm fine, just was a little surprised when I fell. Now, I want some time. I'm still getting used to this, and you aren't helping!"

It was obviously reluctant, but eventually, all the males left the room. Arina gave Janos a pointed glare, and he slunk out the door as well. Rose promptly slammed it closed, and put a red lock around the room.

"It won't stop all of them, but it'll make a point," she explained, moving back to the bed. The girls were spreading out all over the room, dropping down on the bed, moving things off the chairs, and collapsing into the beanbags that were scattered all over the room.

"Um…" Arina looked at them all, baffled.

"Overwhelmed?" someone offered. She was tiny, and had very delicate features. "I'm Augustine. My brother, Dmitri was the one who picked you up off the ground." Arina still looked confused. "Hm…my mother is Kalush?" Augustine tried.

"Oh! Lorn and Lady Angelline mentioned her, I think. One of the first circle?"

"Yes," Augustine said, pleased.

"What just happened?" Arina demanded, sinking down onto the corner of her bed. "I mean, they all just burst in here like the world was ending. What was happening?"

"You cried out in pain. That tends to get strong reactions from the boyos," Rose said carefully.

"But I don't—It's just—I—"

"I know, that's just the boyos," Rose said sympathetically.

Arina collapsed backwards, causing Augustine to move quickly to the side of the bed to avoid getting crushed, grinning.

"This is…" Arina struggled for words, and then groaned. "I can't deal with this!" she cried. "I've spent my entire life staying away from people, getting pushed around and ignored, mocked and insulted, and now if I so much as stub my toe I have a bunch of guys who are going to be all over me all the time without letting up? Is that what you're telling me!"

"Arina, relax," Rose soothed. "Let's take this slowly. Introductions first."

"OK," Arina said faintly, "I can handle that."

"So, that's Augustine," Rose began, nodding to the tiny dark haired girl, who smiled brightly. "Then next to her is Titian, she's Surreal's daughter," she said, pointing to a tall slender girl with delicately pointed ears, green gold eyes, and caramel hair, "and Rillian, Lucivar's daughter, and her sister Lillian," pointing to girls with wings on their backs, and identical mischievous faces, "Emerald, she's Morghann's daughter," the tall firey red haired girl with bright blue eyes smiled at Arina, who smiled wanly back. "This is Lauranna and Astira, both daughters of Gabrielle," Two white blonde girls with pointed ears nodded to her, the former with blue eyes, the latter with forest green. "and then finally, there's Alexandra," Rose finished. The last girl had golden blonde hair and pretty sky blue eyes.

"Hi," Arina said, trying to process all the different names and faces in her mind. "But…I still don't…"

"We'll introduce the boyos at dinner, and inform them to be very nice to you," Augustine promised.

"How do I stop them and make them leave me alone?" Arina asked desperately, thinking of the way the males had acted in the breakfast room.

"Well….You don't," Alexandra said gently, sitting on the other side of Arina, patting her head. "I'm sorry, but you don't. You'll get used to it, I'm sure, but for the moment, you're stuck with them. They'll get better about it and all, but they will always be very…sensitive?...about you."

"Define sensitive. How sensitive?" Arina said quickly, slightly hysterical.

"It's all right, really, you'll get used to it fairly quickly, and then it won't be so bad. It's different for us, because we grew up here, and these customs are something that we have been learning and understanding our entire lives, but this is a new to you, isn't it?"

"I think that this is the first time that I've ever had a conversation with a girl who didn't want me to do their homework or tell them where they could kiss their boyfriend's in private," Arina said without thinking.

Almost every single girl in the room looked stunned, gaping in shock and horror.

"That's awful!" Rillian exclaimed. "What about your friends? Didn't they talk to you?"

"What friends?"

"You didn't have any friends?" Titian asked, frowning.

"Well, no," Arina said slowly. "No one liked me, and I seemed to make everyone very uncomfortable, so that made things difficult for me to make friends. No one was willing to hang around with me, so I was always left alone. It got to the point where people didn't like coming within five or even ten feet of me. Unless, of course, they wanted something from me, that is."

"Wanted something from you?" Rillian gave Arina a curious look, and curled up in the chair she was sitting in. "What do you mean?"

"I'm very intelligent, and I've always been at the top of all of my classes. I'm sure that part of that is because I was left with so much time to study on my own, having no one to connect with, but I also absorb information remarkably quickly. So other students would pay me to do their homework, write their essays, and do other things, like find places to hang out that the cops didn't know about, and various other things as well. I was basically the all around go to girl—if someone wanted something, it was the common belief that I would be able to get it for them—if for a price." Arina shrugged. "I got on well enough. I had the stables for when things got too bad, and I always could go out and run with Janos, so I managed to keep from going insane, but still…" Arina trailed off, still staring at the ceiling over her bed, before pulling herself up and settling down cross-legged. "It doesn't matter. The past is the past—it cannot be changed, only accepted. So, I'm moving on."

"But it does matter, Arina," Rose said quietly. "It really hurts you, and if that is in your past, how can you really expect to just…forget about it? You have to work through it before you can forget about it, and only then will you really 'move on'. And it _will _hurt. A lot."

Kids of… (oldest to youngest)

Jaenelle and Daemon: Lucien (Black, Red) and Yaslana (Ebon-gray, Red), Rose (Red).

MRillian and Lucivar: Daemonar (Ebon-gray, Red), Rillian (Red), Lillian (Sapphire), Andulvar (Gray, Sapphire)

Surreal and Rainier: Titian (Green), Jasper (Green, Sapphire),

Morghann and Khardeen: Morton (Green, Purple Dusk), Emerald (Green), Leon (Sapphire, Opal),

Gabrielle and Chaosti: Farostel (Opal, Red), Lauranna (Green), Astira (Opal)

Kalush and Aaron: Augustine (Green), Dmitri (Green, Purple Dusk)

Wilhelmina and Jason: Alexandra (Opal), Jonathon (Red, Opal),

Kaelas : KaeAvaski (Red, Opal), Jaal (Sapphire, Opal)

Mistral and Moonshadow: Starlight (Green)

LadvRillian: Shadow (Sapphire, Green)

**All right, I know you all must absolutely hate me, but…all right, I have no defenses. It's kind of short, but I was running out of ideas.**

**I'm SO SORRY!**

**Please review?**


	6. Chapter 6

"_But it does matter, Arina," Rose said quietly. "It really hurts you, and if that is in your past, how can you really expect to just…forget about it? You have to work through it before you can forget about it, and only then will you really 'move on'. And it _will_ hurt. A lot."_

Rose knocked on the door to her mother's bedroom a few hours after the girls had disbanded from Arina's room. A few moments later, she heard murmurs, and then her father opened the door and smiled at her. "I can see that I won't be wanted," Daemon said dryly, noticing Rose's look over his shoulder at Jaenelle, "So I'll see you two later," he finished, giving Rose a quick hug and then walking off down the corridor cheerfully.

"Thanks, Daddy," Rose called after him, then slipped into her mother's room and closed the door behind her.

"Rose, what is it?" Jaenelle asked, concerned.

"It's Arina, Mama. We—the girls and I—were talking to her, and she's told us a little bit about her past, but not much. But we think that mostly it's the boyos that are making her nervous, with all the attention that they're giving her. Until she works through her past, and moves on from it, all the very single minded attention that the boyos—especially Lucian—is really freaking her out, despite her attempts to hide it. We—the girls and I—were thinking that we could go somewhere, kept secret, with Aunt Surreal, maybe, and work things out. What do you think?" she had said all of that very quickly, and only looked at her mother at the end.

"Why are you so nervous, dear?" Jaenelle asked, patting the bed beside her and waiting until Rose sat down next to her. "I understand how the girl is feeling, to an extent. But surely she understands that we will stand by her—Lorn did tell her that, he told me."

"Yes, he told her that, and I think that part of her, intellectually, understands that. But…she never had anyone love her. Ever. Not even when she was a child, an infant, did her parents really care for her. They just shipped her off to other people that they paid to watch her. She never had any friends, no caring family. Nothing. I know that you had a hard childhood, but you also had the coven, and Grandpapa Saeton, but she never had anything even remotely like that. So most of her, both mentally, intellectually, and emotionally, doesn't believe that we really will be there for her. I'm fairly sure that she thinks that when things get difficult, or we find out more about her, that we'll turn away from her. With her experiences, she just cannot understand the way we live. And that and…the attention that the boys were giving her really is freaking her out. She just isn't comfortable with the attention that they are giving her, and Lucian is making her particularly nervous. Which is why I'm nervous, because if we actually do manage to get away, Lucian is going to be_ really_ angry."

Jaenelle blinked, slowly working through the information that her daughter had just unloaded in one burst. "Let me see if I have this right," she said finally. "Arina had no friends, no one to even remotely care for her in her entire life. I had a painful childhood, but I still had very good friends, plus Papa. She had none of that, so even though she has been told that we will always stand by her and that the boyos will be very protective and caring of her, she doesn't quite believe it, and thinks that we will all disappear or something. Right?"

"Pretty much."

"And so you want to go somewhere with the girls, who will most likely relate to her the best, because you are all the same age, and all girls. Without any boys, including your brother who has laid a claim on her and Arina being the only one to even remotely keep a handle on him."

"Exactly that."

"Oh, dear."

"Very much so."

"All right, you're probably right—that is probably the best plan. We really do need her to be as settled as possible, as quickly as possible. So, where do you think would be best for you all to go?" Jaenelle asked thoughtfully, leaning back on the bed. "Somewhere the boyos can't get to you, certainly. So that means a closed territory, or at least one where no one in their right mind would go without permission…"

"Arachna? It definitely would be safe, and not even Lucian would try to get in without permission. Besides, they could also teach her to deal with a lot of her power, too, seeing as she's a Black Widow. They'd teach her just as well as you could. But would they allow it?"

"I'll go talk to the queen right now," Jaenelle decided. "That way we can arrange this quickly, and send you girls off by tomorrow, hopefully. Hmm…I know that the coven will be disappointed, they were hoping to talk to Arina more, but I know that they will agree that this is more important than just spending time with her. Yes, this could well work. I'll head over to Arachna, and then talk to the coven. We'll have everything worked out. It would probably help if you could find some way to get Arina to spend time with the boyos today, dear…"

"Yes, mother," Rose said, laughing slightly. "Of course. Thank you," she added softly, hugging her mother tightly.

"Run along, dear, I need to talk to Daemon now," Jaenelle said with a smile, shooing Rose out of the room. As the teen girl hurried down the corridor to where Arina's room is, she glanced over her shoulder in time to see her father slipping back into the room. Rose grinned, then turned the corner, hurried up the next couple of hallways until she was able to knock on the door of Arina's room.

Titian opened the door, knife in hand, and hurried Rose in. "The boyos are getting restless," she said darkly. "Jasper's been pestering me about Arina, as most of ours have been. We need to do something, but…"

Both girls looked at Arina who was staring blankly at a book of Protocol in her hands. "Right," Rose said dryly. "Understood."

*Rose!* Yaslana called, sounding exhausted. *Lucian is going nuts! Is there anything that Arina can do? PLEASE?*

"Hey, Arina, do you want to go outside and do something?" Rose asked brightly.

"Not…really…"

"Arina." Rose stood in front of the girl and waited until she had her attention, all of the others turning to look at her expectantly as well. "My mother is arranging for us to hopefully go to Arachna, where the boys won't be allowed, and we can take time to get you used to this world. But, if we do this, we—you—will need to spend some time with the boyos, so that when we go, they won't go berserk. So, I'll ask again. Do you want to go and do anything?"

"I don't really have a choice about this, do I?" Arina said quietly.

"Of course you do," Rose denied. "It's just that no other option will end well. So, what do you think?"

"I guess. Well, maybe. But I don't know what to do!" Arina wailed. "And they wouldn't leave me alone, because…my…moontime? Started today."

"Oh, dear," Augustine murmured.

"That's for sure," Titian agreed.

*Rose!*

*Shut up, Yaslana, I'm working on it,* Rose snapped at her brother.

*Thank the Darkness!* Yaslana sent back, before breaking the link. Rose growled to herself.

"We can go for a ride though," Arina said finally. "I'll be comfortable there, at least."

"Excellent!" Rose said quickly, grabbing her hand and pulling Arina out of the room before she could change her mind, Rillian on one side and Titian on the other. As a group, the girls moved down the hallways in the direction of the stables.

*Yaslana,* Rose called.

*Yes?*

*We're heading for the stables, so if you want to come riding with us, you better get over here. And please don't come at us screaming and scare Arina.*

*Right!* Yaslana sounded completely delighted, and broke the link, no doubt so that he could tell all the other males.

_Great,_ Rose thought to herself. _I don't know if they are going to be delighted, or furious that she's going to be riding! _

Then the group had made it out of the main keep and into the adjoining stables. Arina immediately relaxed, and smiled freely. The change in her, as she entered an area that she considered to be 'safe' was nothing short of astounding—she had gone from shy and terrified to calm and, surprisingly, confident.

Not a moment too soon. Almost seconds later, the first of the boys arrived in the stables, and things suddenly got very, very crowded.

"Arina!" Yaslana called, weaving his way between the girls to get to her.

The girl in question pressed her face into Pewter Star's neck, and took a deep, calming breath. "Hello, Yaslana," she said finally, before resuming tacking up Star.

"What are you doing?" Dmitri asked, coming up on her other side.

Rillian came up behind them and laughed. Arina grinned back at Rillian in response. "I'm tacking up Star, what else?" she said dryly.

"But—"

"But nothing! I can ride! I! Am! Not! Helpless!" both boys took a quick step away from Arina, eyes wide.

"Um, right, ok, sure thing…"

Lucian came up to them, and steadily looked at Arina. She sent him a narrowed eyed look, silently defying him to make a protest of her activities. From the look on his face, if he thought that he could have gotten away with it, he would have protested. However, he did not have any illusions that he would get away with it, and he was also trying, to the best of his abilities, to behave enough for him to be able to spend time with her, without her trying to avoid him. The path of least resistance. Be nice to her.

"So, where are you planning on riding?" he asked after a pause. She smiled brilliantly.

"I was thinking that we could go to that town over there, Riada, I think, and explore it."

"All right," Lucian agreed slowly. It wasn't the best thing that she could have chosen, like being out in the open where no one else would see her, but maybe she would get used to them more quickly if she was meeting more people from this world.

Augustine snickered as she hurried past the large group congregating in the middle of the stable. "Aren't you lot going to get horses? Or were you planning on walking?" she asked them. Dmitri and Yaslana promptly hurried over to their own horses' stalls, trying to get ready in time to leave and not get left behind.

It only took a few minutes for everyone in the group to get a horse saddled and meet outside the stables, in the main courtyard. There were several members of the first Dark Court gathered as well, watching their children mill around, every single one of them keeping a sharp eye on Arina, who was waiting patiently in the middle of the courtyard, stroking Star's neck absently. She only straightened up when Augustine came into the courtyard, as she was the last of the youths to be going out with Arina.

"Finally," Arina muttered, casting a quick glance around in a head count. Satisfied that everyone was there, she gently kneed Star towards the exit to the grounds. Yaslana and Lucian quickly caught up to ride on either side of her, and she sighed softly, feeling smothered.

Rose quickly caught up with the threesome and cut in front of them. "Darlings, you two might know Arina, because you were the ones who went to get her, but the other boyos don't know her, and she doesn't know them. Introductions, if you will." Both males glared at her, but she just smirked back at them, and turned to Arina.

"Right, so you already know my brothers, Yaslana and Lucian, naturally. And of course, Daemonar," she added grudgingly when the male in question pointedly cleared his throat. "So, moving onto the ones that you don't know. That guy over there, that's Andulvar," Rose continued, pointing to a smaller version of Daemonar, but with sharper features. "He's Daemonar's brother, obviously. Then there's Jasper," she gestured to a tall, black haired green-eyed boy with pointed ears, who grinned at Arina "He's Titian's twin brother. Then Morton, and Leon, they are Emerald's older and younger brothers, respectively," pointing to a pair of red haired boys, the older one with brilliant blue eyes. Then Rose swept her hand in the direction of Lauranna, and a tall boy with the same white blonde hair, light blue eyes and pointed ears, who nodded to Arina with a faint smile, "And Farostel is Lauranna's older brother; Dmitri is Augustine's younger brother, and then finally, Jonathan is Alexandra's brother." Rose took a deep breath, after pointing out the slender, dark haired grey eyed boy who had barged into Arina's room when she had fallen, Dmitri, and then the tall, blonde boy who was almost an exact duplicate of his sister, only male. "And that's it. Well, there are the kindred, of course, but you won't meet them until later."

Arina blinked, several times, and then shook her head to clear it. "All right, I think I have it. It'll probably take me a while to be able to remember names, and match them with faces…" Arina scanned the diverse gathering of teens, and sighed to herself. "It's definitely going to take awhile."

"Ah, well, nothing is perfect," Rose said, and grinned.

Arina's lips twitched upwards in response. "That's for sure," she agreed. "So, where exactly are we going?"

"You mean you dragged us out here and you don't even know what you're doing?" Yaslana said, obviously amused.

"Well, duh," Arina said loftily. "What did you expect? It's not like I've ever been here before, genius,"

Yaslana scowled at her. A couple of the girls giggled at the look on his face, making him turn his scowl on them. Arina and Rose exchanged looks, rolling their eyes simultaneously. The huge group of teenagers slowly broke up, separating into smaller groups that none the less remained in a rough circle around Arina. The girl in question was looking more relaxed than anyone had seen her in this world so far, grinning with Rose, while the latter's brothers stuck very close to Arina's side.

Farostel, Dmitri, and Leon came up beside Arina and the SaDiablo boys after a few minutes of silent, peaceful riding, all three of them smirking in obvious anticipation. Lucian shot them a dark look, which they ignored.

"So, Arina," Dmitri said, grinning wickedly, "How do you feel about a race?"

"Excuse me?" Arina turned in her saddle and stared at the three boys. "A race? Now?"

"Sure. Let's see what you're made of," Leon agreed. "It'll be fun," he coaxed. "We'll even let you win." _And this way, you won't be so nervous around us…hopefully_, he added silently to himself.

"_Let_ me win? How about the other way around," Arina said scornfully. "I'm a very good rider. I doubt that you could keep up with me,"

"Is that a challenge?" Farostel asked, leaning forwards.

She raised an eyebrow back at him. "Is it?" she said, starting to smile. "Well, just perhaps."

Farostel sat back up and looked around thoughtfully. "There," he said after a pause. He pointed to the tree line, maybe about 1000 feet away. "To the trees."

Arina, Leon, and Dmitri all looked at the woods speculatively, and Arina pulled to a stop. Everyone else stopped as well, and looked at her curiously. "Alright," she told them all. "The four of us," she told the others, gesturing between herself and the three boys, "Are going to race to the forest. I think everyone else should get there first, so you can judge."

The others all looked at her, then at the forest. Most of the girls started grinning.

"You really think you can beat them?" Lauranna asked seriously. "Because I hate to say it, but my brother really is good."

Arina smiled. "I'm better."

"Well, if you're sure…no matter what the result—this is definitely going to be interesting." Rillian said, smirking. "Want Lillian, Daemonar and me to fly over head?"

"Sure," Arina said. Then she turned to look at Yaslana and Lucian. "That means that both of you will be at the tree line, _right_?" she added pointedly. Both boys paused, but the look on her face prompted them both to nod, if reluctantly. "Shoo," Arina said brightly. "We need to start."

Emerald and Titian laughed, and then turned their horses and thundered away. All the others followed, with Lucian and Yaslana last, taking the horses of the three fliers.

Arina, Farostel, Leon and Dmitri remained in place, carefully examining the field between themselves and the trees, finding all the bumps and hallows that could cause the horses problems. Each of the four traced their own routes, and then started to size each other up.

Arina quickly decided that Farostel would likely be her worst competition, being an elf of some sort…Dea al Mon, that is. But Leon was also apparently pretty much descended from horse-lovers and had been riding since before he could walk. She wasn't very certain about Dmitri and his skills, so he could be trouble as well. The girl grinned. This was going to be so much fun, she mused to herself, returning her attention to her trail. It would be bumpy, but she had every confidence in herself and in Star, so wasn't worried about injury. She was much more concerned with winning—after her boasts, it would be way too embarrassing to lose.

*Everyone is at the tree line, guys,* Daemonar sent, swooping by overhead. Arina shaded her eyes to look up at him. *Ready to start?*

Arina looked at her companions. "Well?" she asked, her eyes glinting wickedly. "Ready to go?"

"Bring it on," Dmitri drawled, smirking at her.

The four of them lined up together, facing the forest, and waiting for Daemonar to give the signal to start. A second passed, then two, and then…

"Go!"

And the four teens shot forwards simultaneously.

Farostel immediately pulled into the lead by a head, only to be caught by Leon within a minute. Dmitri swung around Farostel and ran on his other side, trying to get in front.

Arina, now slightly behind, bent down and whispered something Star's ear. "Come on, girl, I will not be beaten by the boys," she murmured. "Let's _run_,"

Star threw back her head, and then thundered forward, then around the other three boys. Star and Arina were going a bit more distance than the others, but they had more space, so more maneuverability. Slowly, they pulled up until they were level with Farostel, then Leon. Dmitri, irritated at being at the back, shot forward to match Farostel, who growled at him.

They were getting close now. Daemonar swooped down lower over the riders, with Andulvar spiraling just above him. Rillian was hovering over the tree line, smirking.

"Come on, Star," Arina muttered, leaning even further down against the horse's neck. "We can do this!" They were only seconds away from the trees now, the boys almost continually switching leads.

Then the four of them swept past the first trees, and instantly began to circle, slowing down. The other teens came over from where they had been watching excitedly, all of them talking at once. The Eyriens landed next to Arina, all three of them grinning. Lucian and Yaslana came up to their cousins, bringing back their horses.

"Well?" Arina demanded, glaring at Daemonar. "Who won?"

"You did," Rillian said wickedly. "By a split second. Then Farostel and Leon tied behind you. Sorry, Dmitri, you lost."

Dmitri groaned.

"It was really close," Andulvar offered, grinning. "But Arina won."

The girl in question smirked. "Ha," she crowed. "Take that!"

The other girls laughed.

"You did say that you were good," Farostel admitted, "But I didn't think that you were _that_ good." He groaned. "We're never going to live this down, are we?"

"Eventually, my dear, eventually," Arina purred. "Maybe."

"Aren't we supposed to be going to Riada?" Emerald asked, grinning. "You know, sometime this month?"

"Oh, shush, that was fun," Arina said lightly.

"Only because you won," Leon pointed out.

The group turned in the direction of the village, still talking about the race.

"That's not quite true," Arina disagreed, glancing at Leon. "Oh, sure, I'm happy I won, so that does help in my enjoyment," she said loftily, "but I've lost races too, and I've enjoyed those. I think it's just the thrill of the challenge, for me. I love it."

"Huh."

There was a moment of quiet, all the teens lost in their own thoughts, moving at a lazy walk in a loose circle.

"Look," Lucian said, flicking a glance at Arina. "There's Riada." The young queen put on a burst of speed, and broke out of the trees, onto a hill overlooking the town. Even from there, the teens were able to see people moving around in the area, and Arina smiled, then headed down the hill.

It was time to extend her knowledge of this world and it's people. Being around others outside the mountain Keep would be a better way of getting a grip on the truth of this world. She sighed nervously as they approached the town, and instantly several of the males attention was on her.

"Are you all right?" Yaslana demanded. "That race was a bad idea. With your moontime, you shouldn't be exerting yourself, you should be resting! Maybe we should go back—"

"And maybe you should shut up before I hurt you. Badly. I am fine. You forget that in my world, moontimes were uncomfortable, yes, but females went about their business as usual. There is nothing unusual to me about riding with my…moontime. I'm just nervous." Arina took a deep breath. "I'm not used to meeting a lot of people at the same time," she admitted. "But I need to do this."

Several of the boys exchanged dark looks. They would clearly much prefer for her to return to the Keep. Arina lifted her chin. She knew that she needed to do this, and she would. But…she quickly remembered what Rose had said about spending some time with the boys before they left. "But I won't stay long," she comprimised. "Just a quick look in some of the shops, to see what there is, alright?"

The look of relief on the males faces would have been funny, if the exact same look hadn't appeared on most of the girls faces, other than Rose, who just raised her eyebrows and shrugged.

*That was a good idea,* Rose told her. There was a slight pause, then, *Mama's made the arrangements for us to go to Arachna. It's really unusual, but since you are the next Witch, and Mama asked, we can stay for a week. Then we are going to another territory… I think maybe Glacia, but I'm not sure. How are we going to tell the boyos?*

*I'll tell them after we leave the town. I think this needs to be handled…carefully.*

*You are the best one to tell them,* Rose agreed nervously.

The group of youths entered the town then, and Arina lost her concentration as she looked around constantly, trying to take everything in. The males pressed in around her, doing everything they could to protect her and not make it obvious.

The subtle roll of eyes indicated that they were not altogether successful with the 'not obvious' part. Still, Arina didn't protest, which the males considered to be a victory.

At this point, they'd take what they could get. She was incredibly difficult. Arina turned and smiled sweetly at Yaslana and Lucien, who simply exchanged looks—and sighed.

Actually, the time that they spent in the town wasn't nearly as bad as they thought it would be. Arina didn't protest when the boys stayed very close to her, even if the look on her face clearly indicated that she wanted to. It was a little difficult to understand the differences between her world and theirs in order to act appropriately, but they seemed to be getting better.

After drifting through several stores, including two clothes stores, a store that sold papers and writing supplies, as well as checking out a some others as well. The teens only spent about an hour in the town total, before Arina finally walked out of the last store and looked around.

"I think I'm done here," she said finally.

"Thank the Darkness," Yaslana groaned. "Can we leave, then?"

"I have things for a picnic lunch," Rose offered.

There was a chorus of agreement, as everyone thought that this was a wonderful idea.

"All right then," Arina said when everyone looked at her expectantly. "Picnic lunch it is. Lead on."

**All right, I know that it's been a long time…yadda yadda. I'm having serious writers block, and I'm a bit worried that this chapter seemed out of it. So please, review, and let me know how I'm doing. Reviews will be guaranteed to keep me working on this story, even if it seems like I'm not working. Promise.**

**So, I'm very sorry for not updating in so long, and please don't lynch me!**

**Cheers, FFL**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	7. Chapter 7

Arina slowed Star as the group of teens arrived in the large, flat clearing covered in wildflowers, looking around curiously. "This is a really pretty place," she said with a smile. Lucien smiled back at her.

"It's our favorite place to go when we're at the Keep or Uncle Lucivar's," he told her as he dismounted and walked over to help her down. She glared at him for a moment from Star's back, but then sighed and let him help her down. Meanwhile, Rose had called in the picnic supplies, and the boys were setting things up as the girls dismounted. Within minutes, all the teens were sitting down, eating sandwiches and stew, and generally relaxing away from the bustle of the town. The males were certainly less tense, considering how unhappy they had been in town. Having no one else around—no threats around—was something that they were pleased about.

The group settled down and started eating, chatting quietly as the girls grouped together closer to the middle with the boys around them. It wasn't until they were all finished with the main course and were about to start the desert—some wonderful looking miniature apple pies—when Arina cleared her throat.

"Wait a minute, please" she said quietly. "We need to talk." Never good words to hear, and they got everyone's attention.

"I've never really been good at talking to people, so I'm just going to say this. Jaenelle arranged for me and the girls to go to…Arachna, right?"

"Yes," Rose confirmed.

"Arachna. I'm not doing it because of you…ok, that's a lie." Arina paused and looked around at the males. None of them looked happy. She looked down at her lap reflexively. "Let me explain, ok? I'm sure you already know that my…former life was very difficult. I don't know how much you all know, and I'm not sure I want to. But frankly, everything is so different here, and you all make me nervous, on top of trying to understand the rules here. I'm not used to the attention that you all are giving me. You, and everyone else, so don't think that it's only you. I just am not really handling things well, here and now. Jaenelle said that I needed to be alone for a while, or at least mostly alone, and to have my time. So she arranged the trip for me."

The males all looked at each other over Arina's head. This news was not entirely unexpected to them, although certainly unpleasant. While Arina had never been exactly afraid of them, she had always been on edge, tense, and nervous, except when she was taken by surprise, unguarded. Witch, more than anyone else would have understood this and made arrangements accordingly.

Lucien growled softly, despite himself. He understood why his mother had arranged this, and even agreed that it was a good thing, that it would help settle Arina. But he still didn't want her to leave. His every instinct demanded that he be there, that he guard her, and never let her out of his sight. He knew he'd have to work on that last one, though.

Arina's nerves flared momentarily as he growled, then faded as Arina took a deep breath and steadied herself.

"How long will you be gone?" Yaslana asked slowly, thoughtful, but accepting.

"Two or three weeks, most likely," Rose responded for her.

"Maybe a bit longer, depending on how quickly I can adjust," Arina said, "but not more than a month at most." She smiled faintly. "I've started to think of this place as home, kind of. I'll miss it."

"Will you miss us?" Andulvar teased quietly.

Arina smiled slightly, then grabbed one of the little pies. "Maybe, maybe not," she said jauntily, and took a bite quickly. Several of the girls laughed before they could stop themselves, and then even the boys were laughing.

Arina got to her feet, holding a second pie along with hers. She smiled at Lucien. "Do you want to walk?" she asked, gesturing to the trees. He got up very quickly, smiling brightly, relief coursing through him.

"I'd love to," he replied. She smiled slightly as she turned for the trees, him following behind her.

The pair entered the woods in silence, and Arina relaxed a little as the trees cast them in shadow.

"So," she said after a few minutes of simply walking in silence, "What do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know, anything," Lucien responded lightly. "books you like, or childhood memories…I feel like I don't really know anything about you."

"But you still think that you love me," Arina mused. "Now there's something that I don't really understand."

Lucien paused and looked at Arina. "What do you know about my parents?" he asked her abruptly.

She looked surprised. "Very little. She is Witch, Dreams Made Flesh, and your father is the Warlord Prince of Dhemlen, and wears the Black Jewels. Other than that, though, nothing."

"My father loved my mother for over 700 years, before she was even born. He loved her, and waited for her, for that long. Really, he was made for her. So I don't find it strange that I already love you, even though it seems difficult for you to grasp. I just know that I was made for you, just like my father was made for my mother. I just didn't have to wait for you seven hundred years. I don't know how he managed it, to be honest."

Arina gave him a curious look. "700 years?" she said in astonishment. "Really?"

"You did know that we were of the long lived races, right?"

"Long lived?" she asked, somewhat warily. "How long lived?"

"About 4000 years," Lucien replied lightly. She stopped dead and gave him a look of utter horror. "What?" he asked in confusion.

"We…4000…what?" her voice was faint.

"You didn't know?" he asked gently. She shook her head slowly. "It must not have come up before then," he mused. "It's not a really big deal, though," he continued. "There are many people who are long lived, so it's not like you will never have friends. I'll be there, and so will my family."

"I'm…alright. It's just…a shock," she replied, finally snapping out of her shock. "In my world, no one is long lived. There are stories, fairy tales really, of certain races that are immortal unless they are killed, of course, but in reality, living to be one hundred is considered ancient. You get special awards for it and all. I've never even considered living that long."

Lucien relaxed, then hesitantly reached out and took her hand, hoping that she wouldn't pull it back. She just looked at the way their hands were intertwined thoughtfully, but didn't protest.

"So," she said dryly, "in conclusion, we are going to live for a really freaking long time, and predestined soul mates are perfectly acceptable and no big deal."

"What's a soul mate?" Lucien asked curiously.

She laughed slightly. "A soul mate is someone who is made for someone else, their perfect match, their other half. Supposedly in some cultures or stories, a true soul mate pair formed strong magical bonds, where each could, I don't know, communicate mentally, feel the other's emotions, and all kinds of cool things. But really the gist of the stories is that they were perfect compliments to the other."

"Huh. Yeah, I guess that would describe us pretty well," Lucien said with a slight smile.

"So you say, and yet you still don't know me," Arina replied, rolling her eyes slightly.

Lucien groaned. "Right," he muttered. The pair stopped under a huge tree that had a low branch that was set in a place that was just right someone to sit down on. He gestured to the seat, and Arina sat down with a slight smile. Once she was sitting on the branch, he sat down cross-legged on the ground in front of her. The young Queen raised her eyebrows in quiet amusement. "Alright," Lucien continued. "We have established that we really don't know much about each other, so we should go back to sharing our favorite books and things…"

"Just in general, you mean things that we enjoy, correct?" Arina clarified. "Because I have no idea what kind of books there are here, and you don't know the kind of books from my world."

"Well, yes," Lucien said after a moment, somewhat sheepish. "I forgot about that."

"We can do books, though," she teased. "I can let you mine, and you can lend me yours." He smiled at her in response as she relaxed, leaning against the tree.

"Alright," he said lazily.

She nudged him with her foot, grinning. "My favorite books are, among several others, the Narnia series, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Harry Potter, of course, and the Game of Thrones."

"I'll just pretend I knew what any of those were," Lucien said dryly. "Mine are the Tracker and Shadow novels by Lady Fiona and Lord Jared's journal."

"Sounds good," she said, giving him an identical smile to the one he had given her. "Maybe we should talk about colors and memories, rather than material things that we don't understand," she suggested, starting to laugh slightly. "My favorite color is purple."

"Blue," Lucien replied, laying down on the ground and folding his arms behind his head.

"I don't even know what this is telling us about each other," Arina mused.

"We're both bad at these stupid get to know you games?" Lucien offered. She snorted out a quick laugh. "We already know some things about each other. I know that you had a terrible childhood, without love, that you are incredibly intelligent, you have many loyal friends in the kindred from your world, and you crave freedom."

"Hmm…and I know that you had a wonderful childhood with loving parents and family, that you are very powerful and your family has great influence, you're a bit of a temperamental jerk, and your entire family is certifiably insane, including yourself, and you love me."

Lucien smiled, before the other part of what she had said registered. "Hey! I am not a temperamental jerk!"

"Yes you are, dear, but I don't hold it against you. You can't really help it, after all," Arina reassured him with a smirk. She reached down and ran her fingers through his hair. "Oh, wow," she murmured. "That's nice."

Lucien leaned into her touch slightly, resisting the urge to make any noise and scare her off. There were a few moments of silence as the two simply sat there together. Lucien had closed his eyes as Arina stroked his hair humming to herself.

*Hey, did you two get lost and fall down a hole?* Rose sent suddenly. Arina jumped, and Lucien swore.

*Dammit Rose!* he shouted back at her.

*What? It's been half an hour, you know. We really should be getting back to the Keep. Papa just asked where we were; they're getting worried.*

"Oh, fine," Lucien grumbled, getting up and brushing himself off before offering his hand to help Arina off her seat. She gave him an amused look as he pulled her up, but didn't say anything. *We're coming. Happy?* Lucien shot back to his sister.

*Ecstatic.* Rose replied tartly before cutting the link.

Arina started to pull the irate male back through the woods to return to the clearing. "We were gone for a while, you know," she said dryly. "And you don't quite have a monopoly on me yet."

Lucien broke into a smile just as the pair reached the edge of the woods and rejoined the other teens that were waiting with varying degrees of impatience…mostly on the part of the other males.

The blanket and picnic supplies had disappeared, and the others were already mounted.

_Yet,_ Lucien thought as he mounted his horse after helping Arina up on Star. Yet. As the teens left the clearing, he listened to the girls plan the trip to Arachna. _It will help,_ he told himself firmly, holding Arina's statement in his mind. He had a chance, and this trip would help her to settle more and allow them to connect. The trip that she was going on—alone—was a good thing. Arina caught his eye as she urged Star into a trot, the others following her lead. Leon and Farostel both skipped straight past the trot and burst into a gallop as they began racing up the mountain back towards the keep. Arina smiled at Lucien, before leaning forward to murmur into the horse's ear. A second later, Star and Arina exploded forward after the two males, leaving the others to groan, and try to catch up.

It will help. Now, if only he could actually convince himself of that, Lucien thought dryly as Arina disappeared over the hill after Leon and Farostel.

A hand touched Arina's shoulder, and she opened her eyes quickly. Jaenelle was leaning over her, waking her up. Jaenelle smiled as Arina struggled into a sitting position and rubbed her eyes. "You look like me," the elder Witch said lightly. "I'm not much of a morning person either. I can't believe I'm out of bed this early." Arina blinked at her, then grinned before yawning widely. "Get dressed," Jaenelle instructed as she stepped back towards the door. "It's time to go. Do you remember how to vanish your things?"

Arina did in fact remember that lesson from Lorn. The others were slowly coming back to her over the days that she was awake. It was like she had learned it all, but her brain had closed that part of her brain off and was only letting some information back at a time so that she wasn't overwhelmed. Whatever it was that was doing it, she certainly appreciated it. She nodded to Jaenelle.

"Good," Jaenelle replied. "Can you be ready in fifteen minutes?" Arina nodded again, and Jaenelle smiled at her before leaving the room, probably to wake up the other girls or something, Arina thought fuzzily.

The young girl yawned again as she pulled herself out of her bed and pulled on the pair of jeans she had left on the floor by a chair. She grabbed a crimson sweater from the chair and tugged it on over a black undershirt as she slipped into the bathroom. Quickly she brushed her teeth before cleaning her face with bitingly cold water in an effort to wake up further. After a moments internal debate, she braided her hair down her back, then went to take care of her moontime, grumbling. Once she was done in the bathroom, forestalling makeup for the day, she put everything that she would need in a bad, then vanished it. Returning to her bedroom, she picked up the bag she had packed last night with several jeans, shirts, sweaters and sweatshirts and vanished it. After a some thought, she added several books and two pillows in a separate bag to take. She then picked up a nice blanket that she had stolen—_found_—in another room and vanished them as well. The blanket had felt comforting, so she had taken it. She felt a little guilty, but she would return it later.

There was a knock on the door, and then Rose stuck her head in. "Are you ready?" she asked. Arina took one last look around the room, but couldn't see anything that she wanted to take. She had already vanished the heavy stuff last night, only leaving the clothes for today.

"Yes," Arina replied as she left the room and joined Rose in the hall. "I'm ready. Now what?"

"Come on, let's head to the courtyard. That's where we're leaving from, and most of the others should already be there, along with the carriage Mom got to take us to Arachna," Rose said as they started walking. "And when I say everyone, I do mean everyone. The boys found out where we were leaving, so they all showed up to say goodbye."

"I didn't know we weren't telling them," Arina said as they turned a corner.

"I know, but it just would have been easier. We said goodbye last night, after all."

"Still, it doesn't seem very fair, to just leave in the middle of the night," Arina argued. "It feels too much like we have to be sneaking around, leaving in the dark like criminals. It's not cool," she finished as the pair entered the courtyard and looked around. Janos promptly ran over to Arina and leaned against her legs, obviously hoping to be scratched. Arina smiled and obliged him, and crouched to start scratching behind his ears. The other males had turned to look when Janos raced over, and now started to come over in groups.

"Trying to leave without saying goodbye?" Yaslana called across the courtyard.

"Ask them," Arina replied lightly. "I didn't even know when we were leaving." She turned to Jaenelle, who had been standing by the door when she came in with Rose. "Janos isn't allowed to come either, is he?" she asked quietly.

"No, he isn't," Jaenelle confirmed, shaking her head. "You girls are the only ones allowed to go." Arina nodded to herself, and then tilted her head back as Lucien came to her side. The other males were loitering nearby, but giving Lucien a little bit of space.

"Hey," he said quietly. She smiled at him in response, then climbed back onto her feet, brushing off her pants. "So, are you excited?" he asked, trying to be happy for her. She rolled her eyes a little when she recognized what he wasn't saying.

"A little nervous, but yes, I am excited." He grimaced slightly and she laughed softly. "It's not the end of the world," she reminded him lightly. "I am coming back."

"Are you ready to go, dear?" Jaenelle asked as she came over to where Lucien and Arina were still standing. Rose had moved over to stand with Yaslana and Daemonar when Lucien came over to Arina, leaving the two alone. Lucien sighed when his mother laid a hand on his shoulder, but nevertheless took a step back. "Everyone else is ready," Jaenelle continued to Arina.

Arina nodded. "I'll be there in a second," she promised. Jaenelle smiled knowingly. She squeezed Lucien's shoulder slightly in support before walking back over to the carriage. Arina looked back at Lucien and smiled very slightly. "I may not be as comfortable as I want yet," she told him, "But I can at least do this." She took her step forward and wrapped her arms around him in a hug, laying her head on his chest. He bit back a growl, and then closed his arms around her as well. Thank the Darkness, he thought quietly, knowing that this was what he needed if she couldn't give anything else. He thought back to what she said, that she wasn't as comfortable as she wanted. She was trying, and this was what she wanted to do with her life. She was making the effort to be easier. She stayed in his arms for a moment, letting him just hold her and calm down, before making a slight backwards motion. Reluctantly, he let her go.

"Hey," Daemonar said suddenly from behind them, only slightly joking, "How come he gets a hug?" If Lucien and Arina hadn't had everyone's attention before, they certainly did now. Arina grinned, starting to laugh.

"I'm going to have to hug every single one of you, aren't I?" she teased. "But in answer to your question…I like him more." She stepped lightly over to the big Eryien and gave him a hug as well. Lucien was pleased to note that it was definitely shorter than the hug she had given him, simultaneously celebrating the fact that she was admitting that she liked him at least a little. Yes, he wanted more, but that was a very good start.

Hope built in his chest as he watched her being passed around the males in the courtyard, hugging everyone, even, he was amused to note, his father. He almost laughed when she gave him a quick second hug at the end of the row. Then she was gone, climbing into the carriage and vanishing onto the Winds, headed to Arachna. He sighed. Patience. She would come back, happier, and feeling better. It would be alright. He just had to be patient.

Ha. Easier said than done, and not at all easily said.

One Week Later…

Arina slipped out of the tent that she had been staying in while in Arachna and walked over to the tree line, standing in the shadows. Around her, the tents of the other girls formed a loose circle at the edge of a wood. It was their last night in the spiders territory, and Arina had yet to decide if she was relieved, or disappointed that the time was almost over.

The Arachnids were interesting, that was certain, but they were also…a bit _too_ strange, even for her. They saw things in a very simple way, so much so that it was hard to understand their meaning, sometimes. Still, being among them had calmed her mind quite a bit. Their simple sight helped her to put things in perspective, so to say. While she was still a bit leery of some of the facets of society in her new world, she was no longer terrified and on edge. She smiled to herself. She wasn't running from anything anymore, at least.

Emerald emerged from her tent, looked around, and then walked over to stand with Arina. Arina glanced sideways at her in a silent question.

"I figured that since you know Rose best, you should get to know the rest of us as well." She smiled lightly, to show that she wasn't being too serious. Arina smiled hesitantly back, not sure where Emerald was going. "Rose is the daughter of Witch, so of course she would find it easier to relate to you," Emerald continued, "But that doesn't mean that we can't relate to you either."

"Did she say that?" Arina asked, startled.

"No, of course not." There was a slight pause. Then, "You did, Arina, by your actions. You stayed by Rose, and avoided us in a way. Not physically, I guess. That would be kind of hard to do in such close quarters. You talked to us, but really you didn't connect with any of us. At all."

Arina stared out at nothing, absorbing what Emerald had said. It hurt a little to realize that she had been—unknowingly, but still—cutting off the people who could be her friends. Her first friends. Somehow, though, it was good to feel that hurt, because that meant for the first time that she had opened herself up enough that other people's opinions and thoughts mattered to her. She smiled at the realization, then turned back to face Emerald.

"I hadn't realized," she murmured quietly.

"We knew that, but we still wanted to put it out there. You are our Queen too, you know."

"That's something I still don't understand. Oh, I understand the concept of Queens," she added, catching the slightly stunned look that the other girl was giving her. "But…why _me_? I was just a normal girl from Earth, and now I find out that I am a _Queen_ of all things in another world entirely? It just doesn't make any sense to me."

Emerald paused, surprised. A second later, Titan came up behind them, looking between the two girls. "What is it?" she asked curiously. The physic scents of the area were confusing. Emerald quickly explained Arina's feelings to Titan on a psychic thread. She frowned. None of them had realized that Arina was having these doubts.

"Arina…you aren't just a 'normal girl'. Not here, and not there. You were born as Blood, and that has always been a part of who you are. As for why you…in your world, weren't there people who were born into certain positions? It's just fate, and everyone is touched by it. The only odd thing is why you are from that world, rather than ours. No one, not even Witch, knows why. We have ideas, but nothing concrete."

"You are who you always have been. But now that you are here, you are among people who are more like you and can understand you. You do fit in here, or you do more than you did before," Emerald added onto Titan's explanation.

"But even here, I don't really fit. I'm still…"

"Other. You are Witch, Dreams Made Flesh. And Witch is Blood and Other."

"Dreams Made Flesh?" Arina groaned, dropping down to sit on air instinctively. "Whose dreams? What dreams? Besides, I thought Rose's mom was Witch. How can I be Witch as well?"

By now, all the other girls had joined them, looking slightly amused. At those questions though, they grew thoughtful.

"I think you are all of our dreams, to be honest," Augustine said slowly. "And our parents'."

"And at first we weren't sure if you _were_ really Witch," Titan elaborated. Arina looked confused, and then opened her mouth but was cut off before she could start talking. "Oh, we knew you would be a Black-Jeweled Queen, and therefore the Queen of Ebon-Avaski, and as such, have the title of Witch, but we weren't sure if you were _Witch_ Witch. As in Dreams Made Flesh, rather than just being really powerful.

"But—"

"There can be multiple Dreams alive at the same time. Admittedly, it's really rare, but it can happen. It has twice in the past, according to Draca." Lillian told Arina, speaking for the first time.

"Who's Draca?" Arina asked in confusion.

"She's the sentinial at the Keep. She was the Dragon Queen who made the Blood. You haven't met her yet," Rillian said, rustling her wings. "You will soon, though, especially if you stay at the Keep for much longer."

"But you're sure that I'm actually, truly Dreams Made Flesh now, right?"

"Yes. Otherwise, the Weavers wouldn't have let you come here, let alone teach you everything that they did."

Arina smiled. The Weavers really had taught her a lot. Of course, while she now knew just about everything about being a Black Widow, and how to weave Tangled Webs, the Weavers hadn't taught her much about the world, partially because they didn't know much themselves. They taught her what they knew, and what she needed them to teach her. She would have other teachers for the other things that she would need to learn.

"Ok, so I'm both Blood and Other, literally made of Dreams, of all things, and this is known because I am in a land of golden spiders, and I'm still not really normal. Thanks so much. That clears everything up like mud. I'm even more confused now than I was before we started talking, just so you all know."

Everyone laughed, even Arina.

"The point," Augustine said, grinning, "Is that while it's true that you might not be exactly like us, we still love you, even if you are different. Look at Jaenelle. And if you have trouble understanding what Witch really is, than you should talk to Witch. That is, Jaenelle, the other Witch." She amended, accompanied by snickers. Arina groaned in mock exasperation. "Because you most definitely are Dreams Made Flesh."

"Why does everyone talk about Jaenelle and Witch like they are two different people, if Jaenelle is Witch?" Arina asked curiously.

"That's something you will have to ask her," Alexandra said quietly. The tiny girl had gone almost unnoticed before she spoke. Arina nodded in understanding.

"But all of this leads us back to one of my first questions, and that being…What dang dreams? If it's everyone's dreams, like you suggested, than what were they in particular? And how could I be your dreams? I'm your age! If there's one thing I learned from the Weavers, it's that the Web has to be complete before it is bound to the Flesh!"

"Well, yes," Lauranna said patiently, hooking her hair behind her pointed ears, "but that goes back to the theories we mentioned as to why you are from a different world. We think that separation, is what allowed the Weavers to continue to add dreams to your Web while you were alive."

"Besides, I know that I've heard both Papa and Grandpapa talking about how Mom's own dreams for herself changed her Web, so I know it's possible to add to Webs while the Dream lives," Rose added.

"And when the Weavers had finished, Lucien became aware of you, probably because of his own dreams, and as a result of all of that, you were brought home." Astira finished with a smirk.

"And that's another thing," Arina complained. Everything was coming up now, so she might as well make the most of the opportunity to get everything she could. "No one has really explained why Lucien is so interested in me. And what do you mean, his own dreams?"

Everyone looked at Rose, who sighed slightly. "Well, my brother has always wanted someone who could stand his strength, just like our Papa did. So, Papa's dreams helped shape Mom, and Lucien's dreams led him to you."

"Led him to me," Arina repeated. "But your father's dreams shaped your mom. Right? So what you really mean is, Lucien shaped me."

"No! Well, kind of. But even though you are younger than he is, in every way that matters, he was made for you. He didn't do anything to you."

Arina frowned.

"Lucien needs you, desperately," Rillian said firmly. "and frankly, if we have to beg for you to get to know him and give him a chance, we will."

"I don't understand why it's so necessary for me to commit right now, though," Arina said in frustration. "I mean, what if it turns out that I can't stand him? What's wrong with taking things slowly?"

"Because you are thinking in terms of Earth," Lillina said, leaning forward. "Short term. But Lucien is a long lived Warlord Prince, and therefore volatile,"

"And he's a SaDiablo to boot, the son of the Sadist, and grandson of the High Lord of Hell, Prince of Darkness, so that only adds to his power and overall danger level," Astira added.

"He's a Black-Jeweled Black Widow as well," Rose said. "All of that means that he needs someone to hold his leash, and you are the one he has chosen. He will only listen to you now, and that means that he will no longer listen to mom, or at least not very much. When you saw him, did you feel something inside that told you—"

"Mine?" Arina said.

"Yes."

"Well, kind of. I wasn't quite sure what it meant though."

"It means that you hold his leash, and he will serve you," Titan said.

"You all keep talking about leashes, but that sounds really bad," Arina said, frowning again.

The other girls looked at each other in surprise. "I guess it does," Alexandra said finally. "But it only means…well…" she paused and thought for a minute.

"It means what it means, and I need to let go of my prejudices?" Arina suggested after several minutes of silence. "I know that things are different here, and it does make a kind of sense, that phrase."

"Oh, good," Lauranna said with a smile. "I don't even know where we were going, trying to explain that."

"So, this service thing…"

"Aunt Jaenelle and Lady Karla will explain everything," Lillian said.

"Don't worry about Lucien," Arina said. "I'm working out my issues, and I definitely am interested in him too, so relax." She yawned. Titan looked at her watch and groaned.

"All right, it's late, and we're leaving for Glacia in the morning. We should get some sleep," she said, getting up and stretching. "'Night, all." The girls all quickly dispersed back to their tents. The talk had been good, but it really was late. And they did still have a week or two to spend in Glacia before returning to the Keep and the boys. Everything was going to be fine.

The next morning the girls all dragged themselves out of their tents with a definite sense of relief. No more sleeping on the ground, tonight they would have real beds. And, extra bonus, they would have real adults to talk to instead of spiders who really didn't understand some things. Rose and Arina were the last ones up, Rose snarling at everyone, very much like her mother, and Arina just sort of in a daze, obviously still half asleep.

"Oh, are we going now?" she asked blearily, looking around. Several of the golden spiders had come out to see them off, including their Queen.

*Go now,* the Queen told Arina. *Remember, you are Dreams. Witch. Strong. You will unite realm. Remember lessons.*

The spiders flowed away. Arina stared after them, dumbfounded. "No pressure or anything," she muttered. A moment later, the carriage that had brought the girls to Arachna appeared in the middle of the clearing, and Jaenelle stepped out.

"Hello, girls," she said brightly. "Ready to go?" Arina stared at her for a moment, then looked back in the direction the spiders went. She looked back at Jaenelle, vanished all of her things, and dove into the carriage. "Get me out of here!" she cried dramatically.

Everyone else laughed as they climbed into the carriage to leave.

**Ok, so I finally got that done. I know I've been really bad at this, but while it was really hard at school, I really have no excuses. Next chapter, spending time in Glacia, some conversations between the two Witches, and Arina starts to really settle into her new world…**

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed this story, it kept me going!**

**Please review…if only to tell me how much of a jerk I am.**

**Girls: Rose, Rillian, Lillian, Titan, Emerald, Lauranna, Astira, Augustine, Alexandra**

**LifeandFire25: Thanks! That's a good idea, I'll really think about that… (one walking, then possibly an eagle or some sort of bird)**


	8. Chapter 8

The Queen's residence in Glacia was undeniably beautiful. The sprawling mansion was made of white marble, and the gardens were all in flower as spring progressed towards summer in the realm, bright colors scattered across the grounds. Of course, being in one of the coldest territories in Kaeleer, the temperatures were still not nearly as warm as they had been even at the Keep, let alone in her home state back on Earth, Missouri. It got very warm there, very quickly once spring began. Not so much here though, Arina thought as she stood in front of the mansion, shivering slightly in the breeze.

She tilted her head back to see the mountains that appeared to cradle the Residence between their peaks, the white marble blending with the snowy caps in the distance. Arina couldn't help but compare it to the Keep, the only other place she had really seen in this world. Karla's home was more graceful, and lighter, while the Keep was strong and imposing with an almost oppressive sense of darkness in its aura. She had no doubt that if the Keep didn't like someone, they would get a lot more than just oppressive though. But both places felt nice to her, and homelike. Despite the cold here.

Inside the mansion was equally as impressive as the outside. A large fireplace in the entrance hall lent warmth to the air, even as warming spells did, only with a more welcoming feel. The group of young women around her led her through the hallways to the residential wing, pointing out the views from the windows and the tapestries in the halls with the air of long experience.

Rose showed Arina into what would be her room for the next week or two, then left quickly to go talk to her mom while Arina settled in. It was a nice room, Arina thought as she called in her bags and unpacked into the drawers and wardrobe. She lay the blanket she had taken from the Keep over the bed, revealing a complex red and black design on the gold background. The room was not as nice as her room at the Keep, but then, what could possibly be? Unpacking done, the young woman laid back on the bed and closed her eyes. The lessons that she had learned in the past week flowed through her mind in snippets as she slowly relaxed.

"_A poison sac under your ring finger…" _

"_Warlord Princes are highly volatile and require a Queen to balance their natures out so they are not destructive…"_

"_Queens are the moral center of the Blood…they rule in order to protect all their people…"_

"_Black Widows weave webs that can do almost anything…glimpse the future, create shadows, ensnare minds…"_

"_This is how you weave an illusion web…"_

"_You are our dreams to unite the realm for good…"_

A knock at the door threw Arina forcibly out of her recollections. She struggled into a seated position on the bed, thankful for the interruption, as her thoughts had begun to go in directions she wasn't altogether pleased with. "Come in," she called. The door opened, and Lady Karla stuck her head in, smiling at the sight of the young Queen looking slightly lost on the bed. The older women stepped carefully into the room and walked slowly over to an armchair, sinking down gratefully and leaning her cane against the wall. Arina looked between Karla and the cane for a moment before shrugging. She didn't comment on it, knowing that the older Queen would tell her if she wanted.

"I was wounded by poison," Karla said, catching the glance, her voice quiet. "A long time ago. Betrayed by my court. It was Witchblood, and I almost died; even Jaenelle can't do everything."

Arina nodded slowly.

"Nobody is perfect," Karla added with a slight smile. Arina had to smile back at her, if only slightly.

"Did you need something?" Arina asked, absently stroking the blanket. "I mean, you didn't need to come to my room, Alexandra said she would show me around."

"I know. I told Alexandra that I would take care of showing you around though." Karla gave her a wicked smile. "Jaenelle went back to the Keep to tell the boyos that you are fine, and now I have you all to myself for the afternoon. I intend to make the most of it, darling."

"Why?" Arina asked curiously. "Wouldn't you have other things to do?"

"They can wait," Karla said calmly. "You are important to us, Arina. Not just because you are Witch, either." She smiled gently at the younger girl. Karla looked at the blanket that Arina was sitting on, and smiled. "Where'd you find that?" she asked, smirking.

Arina looked at her warily, glancing between the older Queen and the blanket. "It was in one of the rooms at the Keep," she said, adding defensively, "I'm going to return it, I just thought it would be nice to have something for warmth." Karla started to giggle quietly. "What? Do you know whose it is?"

"Why did you really take it?" Karla asked, her eyes dancing in amusement.

There was a pause as Arina looked down and squirmed slightly. "It smelled good, and it made me feel safe," she finally muttered. "I don't see what's so funny," she grumbled.

"Lucien got that blanket for Winsol when he was young. It's one of his favorite possessions."

"Oh," Arina murmured. "Oops. I guess I should really apologize to him then…"

"Oh, don't even worry about that, he'll be thrilled to know why you took it."

"Don't even think about it," Arina cried. Karla just laughed. Arina growled under her breath, fisting her hands in her lap and no longer touching the blanket.

"Come on," Karla said after a moment, standing up again. "I'll show you around the gardens. By then, Jaenelle should be back for your lessons."

"Yay," Arina said with a slight smirk. "And here I thought that in a new world, I could at least get away from school." The two women walked down the corridor towards a door at the end that led out into the inner gardens.

"No such luck," Karla teased. "How was your time with the spiders?"

"Interesting," Arina said simply.

They walked out into the gardens at that moment, and Arina caught her breath at the beauty around them. Flowers of every kind and color bloomed in every direction the eye could see, and behind them, large pale roses climbed a trellis by the doorway and arched overhead, framing the doors. Karla looked pleased at Arina's expression.

"This is amazing," the younger girl breathed. "I would have thought it was too cold here to have so many flowers." Almost unconsciously, she reached for one of the large white roses, stopping just short of actual contact. "Glorious," she murmured.

"It took a long time to breed them here, many generations. I like to think they have improved the most recently, under my hands. Of course, Jaenelle helped as well, but they have really been my pet project recently." She smiled ruefully. "I have been able to give them much more attention than I did when I first came here."

"This isn't where you grew up?" Arina asked curiously.

"No, this is the Queen's Residence. It's where the ruler of Glacia lives, always. When I give up my position as Territory Queen, then the next Queen will come to live here, and I will leave."

"That seems like such a shame," Arina said, tilting her head to the side as they continued walking. "All that work, and you won't get to keep it?"

"It's tradition. Besides, I'm almost expected to take seeds, and even clippings. In fact, it would shock everyone if I didn't. It's what Queens do. Then they continue the gardens in their new homes. Sometimes, if they find a good new plant, they will send the seeds to the current Queens. It's a cycle."

"Is it always that way? The Queen moves to a different house, stays there and makes it her home while she rules, but then has to leave when it's over? Leave everything behind?" Arina looked troubled. "Is that something that I will have to do?"

"No, not necessarily. For instance, Jaenelle ruled from her family home, only going to the Keep when necessary. You will be able to do the same thing. You won't be expected to live in the Keep." Karla settled on a white bench below a towering oak tree and patted the seat beside her. Arina sank down with an appreciative smile, before frowning in thought.

"But I don't have a family home. Or any home. And while I certainly am glad for the welcome that I've been given, I'm hardly one to live on the charity of others. I want my own house. Then I won't be so worried about where I live." She smirked slightly. "That sounds rather redundant, doesn't it? But then, I can't get a house, because I don't have any money. Well, I do have money, but it's not actual cash, just on credit cards, so it isn't real. Which really doesn't help me. I'm rambling, aren't I."

"Yes. But I got the gist of it. You want to earn your own way, here. In order to do so, you need a job. As a Queen, then the job you would naturally get would be ruling, which involves living in the Queen's residence, and growing attached to a place you cannot keep for yourself."

"Yes," Arina said in relief. "That's exactly it."

"You know that Uncle Saetan will exchange your "credit card" money for gold and silver marks. All you have to do is work out what the currency exchange would be. If it makes you happy, you could even give him part of it back as a fee. But it is our fault that you are here, where your money is ineffective. It would only be fair to give you funds equal to those you lost when you came here," Karla explained.

Arina's eyes lit up, but she still hesitated. "You wouldn't get anything in return, though," she muttered after a pause.

"It's only fair," Karla said, raising her eyebrows. "And don't say that to the boys or Uncle, they would be highly insulted. They would take it as you thinking them unable or unwilling to serve, and that is not a good thing."

"Oh, believe me, by now I know that, if nothing else." Arina said wryly. "I have to say yes. Absolutely, and thank you."

"Good!" Karla said brightly, getting up. They walked back into the mansion, and Karla quickly told her that she and the other girls had been settled in her family wing. The floor below their rooms was where her lessons would take place, some fast and dirty Craft lessons, and also politics and learning how to be a Queen in a short period of time. The other girls would stay here as well. "And you'll have free time to visit the realm, as well," Karla was explaining as they walked into the dining room. "You can visit different Territories, and go shopping, after your money is converted."

"Oh, shopping?" Titian asked brightly. "Sounds fun, when do we go?"

"In a couple of days," Karla replied tartly. "First Arina has to get her money changed into our money. And she really does need to get some of her lessons out of the way."

Alexandra made a face, then brightened. "You have to see the big cities. I mean, you saw Riada, but that's a really small town, nothing like the cities. Amdarh, for example is the capital of Dhemlen, and that's where Titian and her family lives. Aunt Surreal is definitely a city girl, and it passed down to her daughter," she whispered conspiratorially. Titian stuck her tongue out at Alexandra.

"But we're avoiding Dhemlen for another two weeks," Arina pointed out with a grin as she slid into a seat. "And for that matter, anywhere the boyos—that's what you say, right?—might show up."

"Well, I have to say, none of the boys are really city types," Rillian countered. "In fact, I know that my brothers both consider going to the city and—Darkness have mercy—actually shopping—are activities that should be ranked right up there with the worst forms of torture, and the rest of the boys aren't that far behind them." She paused and considered. "Well, Jasper might be an exception to the city thing, if not the shopping aversion. After all, he's Surreal's kid, too," she said fairly.

"Hello, witchlings," Jaenelle said cheerfully as she entered the room. She was followed by footmen carrying the lunch dishes, and the girls all chorused a "Hello, Aunt Jaenelle/Mom" back, before digging into the food.

The girls dropped the topic of shopping. Jaenelle started Arina's lessons right there, telling her stories about the history of the three realms, starting with the recent altercations with Terrielle. The others caught up with the latest news from Karla, already knowing the history.

"Yay, more lessons," Lauranna teased as they separated when they were done with lessons. "Fun, fun."

"Not," everyone else responded in union.

The next few days fell into a pattern. In the morning, Jaenelle would teach Arina separately about the history and customs of the Realms. In the afternoons, all the girls would have Craft lessons, all of them in the same room but Jaenelle usually working more closely with Arina to make sure that she had the basics down. To her amusement, Arina seemed to skip most of the basics right over. She didn't start off at the really hard stuff and not be able to do the easy stuff, she just didn't seem to need to do the more basic things, able to work with more advanced things with only a little coaching.

"I'm a fast learner, that's all," Arina said simply to their confusion. "I pick things up quickly, and I have never had to be told something more than once."

In the evenings, the girls would play games and just talk, relaxing after the lessons. The two older Queens were setting a grueling pace for Arina, trying to teach her everything she needed to know as quickly as possible. Four days into the first week, a letter came from Jaenelle's father, with about a hundred gold marks, and credit for a seven hundred more.

Titian grabbed the letter and squealed. "Yes! Now we can go shopping!"

"Only when all the lessons are done," Karla said flatly. "And let that be an encouragement to work better, because the better you do, the more money you get when you go—next Friday."

The girls were torn between complaining at the long wait, and being excited for the money that they would be given as gifts when they did go. Excitement won, if only partly because they really didn't want to lose the money. A loud chorus of "Thank you, Aunt Karla" ran around the room. Arina laughed happily.

"And think, all of this started for me due to a shopping trip," she said thoughtfully a moment later. "I have a feeling that going this time is going to settle things for me."

"Then all the better," Jaenelle said easily in reply.

That weekend, Jaenelle took Arina on a walk in the woods near the Residence. The older Witch went ahead, leaving the designated path and moving into the unmarked forest. Arina looked around curiously as she followed slowly, noticing the silver white flowers that marked the direction that they were following. Without warning, the woods opened up to reveal a small pond of perfectly clear water up ahead. Jaenelle was standing calmly on the shore of it, waiting.

"Please don't tell me we're going swimming," Arina joked as she emerged from the trees, scanning the scene. "I'd turn into an Arinacicle."

Jaenelle laughed. "No," she assured. She sat down cross legged on the air, and patted the space beside her in encouragement. Arina chose to fall forward, lying on her stomach next to Jaenelle. "Do you understand what it means to be Witch?" Jaenelle asked quietly, her smile fading into a more serious expression.

Arina tilted her head to the side, and then shook it slowly. "Not really," she responded. "I know that I was 'made' by the people of Kaeleer, to unite the realm, but not much else." She smiled wanly at the older woman. "No pressure, right?"

Jaenelle looked sympathetic. "You are who you are," she said. "You are Witch. I know that you have to be wondering if you are the way you are because you were made to be that way, or if you are going to change now that you have come here."

"Yes," Arina murmured quietly. Her voice grew sharper as she continued, and louder. "Of course I think that I've changed. Ever since I came here, nothing is the same. Everything I do is different than what I would have done at home. I actually talk to people, and I—I don't know—"

"Would you give it up though?" Jaenelle interrupted. Arina stared at her, nonpulsed. "If you were given the chance to return to your former life and leave all of this behind you, would you? Would you be willing to forget everything that has happened and just go back?"

Arina looked down at her reflection in the clear pond. "No," she finally whispered. "I wouldn't. I _couldn't_." She looked up again, a steely light in her silver eyes, making them look like unsheathed blades in intensity. "I'd rather die than go back to that place."

Jaenelle spread her hands apart. "Than does it matter if you have changed by coming here, if you are happier here than you were there? In the end, does it matter?"

"It matters to me," Arina said at last, though her voice was a lot softer and lighter. "No matter how ridiculous I know it sounds, I still don't like the thought that some part of me changed fundamentally by coming here."

"Janos doesn't think you've changed, though," Jaenelle pointed out gently. "And he would know better, don't you think? As an outside perspective who has seen both sides of you."

"And what does Janos think?" Arina asked, smiling reluctantly.

"He thinks that you have always been this way, only because of your parents there, you had to hide it. He says that you haven't changed at all with him, the only difference is that here you can open up to the other people around you and that you are over all happier. Although his exact words were that you finally "are making your pack," which in canine speak is exactly the same thing."

Arina stared at the water and her reflection. She looked confused, and vulnerable, and her feelings were equally confused. She wavered between confusion and hope, frustration and understanding. There was a long silence as Jaenelle let her work things out.

"So basically you are saying that I'm actually more myself here than I was there, because here I don't have to hide myself like I did there."

"In essence, yes," Jaenelle replied. "After all, if you had never come here, I believe fully that you would still have been this person once you escaped from your house."

"I haven't changed at all then," Arina said, to herself. She smiled in relief. "I can't tell you how good that is to know," she told Jaenelle. "It was unnerving to think that I was almost someone else."

Jaenelle smiled at her. "I'm glad you have been put at rest," she said simply. "But we have gotten off topic. I want to know what you think it means to be Witch."

Arina went back to staring at the water as she thought about it. "I know that it means that I am someone that others will depend on, and look to for advice and knowledge," she admitted, reaching down to touch the cold water. Ripples covered the surface, blurring the image of the two women.

"To be Witch is to be alone," Jaenelle said flatly. Arina looked up. "You are not a part of any of the races, but all of them. You are expected to be a part of every Territory, and to care equally. You have a relationship with the Darkness unlike everyone else. In the end, you will be alone." Jaenelle smiled sadly. "We both realized that early, but you more so than I. It wasn't until I was twelve, and left my body to walk paths that no one else would ever see that I truly realized that. When I woke up, I knew that I was alone. Before that, I hadn't really understood, because my friends had loved me, and so did Papa."

"But they didn't really know you, and when you looked at them after, you couldn't ignore that fact," Arina guessed.

"Yes," Jaenelle agreed, looking pensive. "You had it much harder than I did, all alone in your world. You have learned that lesson already."

"I never expected anything different, truth be told."

Jaenelle looked at the younger Dream sharply. "You may be alone, but you will always have love here," Jaenelle said firmly. "Friends and those who love you. You will be alone, but not."

"Does that even make sense?" Arina asked weakly.

"Are you happy here, despite knowing the costs of being Witch?" Jaenelle asked simply.

Another long pause. Then, "Yes."

"Than it does make sense, and you know it." Jaenelle studied Arina, laying next to her on air. "There is another aspect to being Witch that you should know about."

Arina noted the look on Jaenelle's face and sat up, sitting across from the older woman and mirroring her position. "I'm listening," she said quietly.

Jaenelle smiled grimly and revealed the Dream beneath the Flesh. Arina's eyes widened in shock before she regained control. Hesitantly, her gaze rolled over Jaenelle, cataloging her changed appearance. The tiny horn on her forehead, the pointed ears. The cat claws, and the hooves that her legs ended in. The deer tail. After Arina saw everything, Jaenelle slipped beneath the Flesh again, and appeared completely human again. "Is that what I really look like?" Arina asked faintly, shock still evident in her eyes. But no matter how hard Jaenelle looked, she did not find fear in the silver orbs. Her expression softened.

"I don't know what your true appearance is, what your Dream is. Every Dream is different, after all. But what I do know is that, like me, not all of your Dreamers who shaped you were human, so I would not be surprised if you did change." There was nothing but hunger in Arina's eyes.

"When will I know?" she asked eagerly.

Jaenelle smiled at her enthusiasm. She had been worried that Arina would be horrified. "Not tonight, nor tomorrow," she decided quickly. "You all go shopping tomorrow, and you need your rest tonight. Saturday, I promise. You will know yourself then."

**AN:**

**Ok, this is a little shorter than I had planned. However, I am confident that you will like my reasoning. I am now taking a Creative Writing course, and my teacher was talking about goals and how in our writing we really need to set deadlines for ourselves. Therefore, as of now, my self-deadlines are that I am going to post one chapter at the first day of every month. That's going to be hard for me, because I have never done that before, but I think I can do it. It would be really nice if you all could give me encouraging reviews as well—I was really disappointed that the last chapter didn't get many. Did that mean you didn't like it?**

**Anyway, I really hope that everyone enjoys the chapter, and would please review. Next month: The girls all go shopping, and Arina finds out that she isn't entirely human after all. Please give lots of reviews, especially about what you think Arina should look like. I have my own plans, of course, but if someone has a good idea I might add it in. **

**Thanks everyone!**


	9. Chapter 9

Later that afternoon, the pair of Witches returned to Karla's mansion after another hour of talking over Arina's situation. When they returned, they finished up Arina's last lessons just in time for dinner, where they rejoined rest of the girls and Karla.

"So we'll all go shopping in Hayll tomorrow afternoon," Karla was saying as they walked through the door into the large dining room. The older Queen looked up at the pair as they entered, and smiled in welcome. "I was just telling the girls the plan for tomorrow," she told Jaenelle. She pushed a newspaper in Arina's direction as the younger girl dropped lazily into a chair. Curious, she picked it up.

_Hayll News_. Simple and direct, easy to understand. Arina smiled slightly. According to Jaenelle, who learned it from Daemon, Hayllians were anything but simple and direct. "What's this for?" she asked Karla, idly flipping through the pages.

"Advertisements," Karla replied tartly. "If you're shopping, then you should think about what you are going to want to get, and see what is available, and if there are any bargains."

"That's brilliant," Arina exclaimed, looking up.

"Well, you'll have plenty of time to look through it after dinner," Jaenelle said, clearly amused. In response, the newspapers were accordingly vanished and attention was turned to the food being placed in front of them all.

The main subject being discussed around the table as they ate was the letters that had come from everyone's families the day before. Despite the fact that they would be returning to their homes in a few days, the letters had come and filled everyone in on the recent news in the various territories. Arina suspected it was so that the boys didn't have to spend so much time telling them what they missed, if the girls could read about it instead. If so, they were going to be disappointed, because the girls were coming up with more questions based on what they had found out so far.

Arina listened with interest as Lauranna and Astira discussed…something…in a language that she could understand about one in every five words of, if only slightly. It was a beautiful, lyrical tongue, and she was reminded, not for the first time, of the Dea al Mon's resemblance to the Elves of her old world. She wondered in private amusement if there had been a time when the Realms had connected to Earth, and if the Children of the Wood had been seen. She wouldn't be surprised, she concluded. Every time she had seen Chaosti, she had thought of Legolas from the Lord of the Rings. She ducked her head to hide a smile, wondering what reaction they would have if she lent them the trilogy.

"What is so funny?" Astira asked, noticing her interest.

"Just…something. Maybe I'll tell you sometime. You were speaking in your native language? What is it?" She deftly changed the subject, voicing her curiosity.

Lauranna and Astira exchanged glances, then Lauranna spoke. "Yes, that is our language, but," she waved a hand vaguely. "We don't have a name for it, so much. It just _is_, you understand?"

Arina nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I get that." She paused, and then asked hesitantly, "Can you teach me? It sounds so beautiful, and I've always been good with languages, so I'll pick it up quickly," she added. She smiled wryly. "Maybe it's a Witch trait or something. But I would absolutely love to learn," she said sincerely. It might even be pretty easy, since I could already understand some of it, she thought. Clearly, Tolkien's Elvish was similar to their language, and she had taught herself Elvish. It should be simple to learn a language when she had actual teachers. It seemed strange that the Elvish was so similar to their language, though, when Tolkien had supposedly made up the language on his own, but there you go.

Astira and Lauranna both proved more than thrilled to teach her. "Farostel will be so jealous," Astira noted with a wicked grin. "He'll want to help teach, too. Poor thing," she said, mock sympathetic.

"Do you want to learn Eyrian as well?" Rillian asked, leaning forward while everyone laughed. She guestured to Lillian. "We'd be happy to help as well."

Rather than answering, Arina looked thoughtful, then asked, "How many languages are there?" She mentally noted both the Dea al Mon and Avaski—or Avaski Terrielle, she corrected herself—as having unique languages.

"Well," Alexandra said calmly, putting her fork down and wiping her hands absently on her napkin, "There are those two, then there's the Old Tongue, Scelt, plus, let's see…" she trailed off, tapping her fingers on the table as she counted silently. "Nine, no ten others. If you're good with languages, how many can you speak now, from your old world?" The blonde girl asked curiously.

"English there is the Common language here, so that's one," Arina replied, grinning. "Then Latin, French, Spanish, German, Russian, ASL—American Sign Language—" she clarified the acronym at the looks of confusion on everyone's faces. "Greek, Italian, Japanese, Cherokee, Mandarin, Cantonese, Egyptian and Bantu. So in total, that's—" she counted quickly. "Fifteen in total. Damn, that's a lot when I look at it like that."

"Wow," Emerald agreed, looking slightly dazed. The others all looked shocked as well, and Jaenelle raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah," Arina muttered, shaking her head. Then she shrugged. "I was bored one day, so I picked up my Mother's Spanish book. After that, it all just kind of snowballed into my learning as many languages as I could. It was a challenge. On the bright side, it led to my school scholarships, and those probably saved my life." She ignored the winces that the others made at the thought. "Learning languages is fun," she concluded with a small yawn. "So I would love to learn as many of the languages here as I possibly can."

The group of girls moved out of the dining room at Karla's urging, and they settled down in one of the drawing rooms, curling up in chairs and on couches to talk. The two adult women left, talking quietly to themselves about some healing brew that they were working on.

Titian laid out her newspaper on the ground in front of her and opened to the ads. "It looks like there are a couple of good clothes stores, she mused, flipping through the pages. "One's even having a sale—bonus."

"Farland Books has a branch," Rose added. "They also sell music spheres, and other things."

The room quieted down as everyone turned their attention to the pages, occasionally mentioning some stores if they looked interesting. Arina looked with interest at the ad for Farland, wondering if they carried Jared's Journal, the book Lucien said was one of his favorites. She flushed slightly, but moved on quickly, hoping no one noticed. Antique shops—and how old would something have to be to be considered an antique by people who lived to be 4000, she wondered—and knickknack shops were noted at the bottom of the last page, but they were the ones that she was most interested in. Calling in a highlighter, she circled each of the ads before turning the page to see what was next.

Houses for sale.

Arina froze, and felt a surge of interest and hope. A house. Somewhere she could live and make her own, not having to rely on Jaenelle's generosity, somewhere just for her. She had not expected this blast of longing, of desire. Oh, yes, she wanted this.

"To bed, girls," Jaenelle's voice said from the doorway. Arina jerked up in surprise, Augustine yelped and fell of the couch from where she had been balanced on the edge, and all the girls made various sounds of surprise. "It's already midnight, and you still have packing to do tomorrow, and finishing up your last lessons. You need sleep."

Arina turned to look at the clock, again surprised to realize that it had been so long. She had thought that it had only been an hour, not three.

"Bed." Jaenelle said firmly when no one had moved. "Now."

At that exact moment, Emerald yawned widely. She blushed hotly, but everyone admitted that they were tired and went away to bed without further complaint.

Reaching her room, Arina slipped into a pair of soft pants and a sweatshirt before crawling into the huge bed. Even in springtime, Glacia nights were very cold, even with the thick quilts on top of the bed. The silver eyed girl called in the blanket that she had taken from Lucien, inhaling deeply. After a hesitation, she also called in the letter that he had sent her, blushing slightly.

Almost despite herself, she had started to soften toward Lucien; there was just something about him that—how did they say it—sang to her.

She flipped the letter open and read the beginning lines for the fifth time, "_Dearest Arina_." She smiled softly, feeling somewhat silly. His handwriting was amazing, flowing and elegant—if she didn't know better, she would have thought it was a girl's script. She suspected it was because of Prince Saetan, but knowing Jaenelle's husband, it could easily be his father's influence. Whatever it was, she certainly appreciated it. She returned to the letter.

"_It's been rather quiet here at the Hall since you have been gone. We're all so used to having Rose around, and there's almost always another one of the girls with her visiting. It's strange, having both her and Mom gone. I know that Dad is starting to get very grumpy, but don't worry about it—he knows and understands that you need her more right now. That doesn't mean he has to like it, and he's been taking it out on us and Uncle Lucivar, when we are on the practice fields. Of course, Uncle Lucivar just beats the crap out of him, so it isn't so bad. It's almost like the time when Mom went over to Shalador Nehele, in Terrielle. Dad isn't allowed in Terrielle, so she went with Uncle Lucivar and Aaron—Aaron because his cousin is the Queen there. The three of them were only in Terrielle for a week, but Dad was tense by the time that they got back. Only, it was worse than now, because Dad and Uncle Lucivar have terrible memories in Terrielle—it's one reason why Dad isn't allowed there anymore—and they treat Terrielle as enemy territory._

_I hope that you are finding what you went looking for. And please don't listen to anything my sister tells you. I'm sure most of it is an outright lie, and the rest of it she told wrong anyway. There was this one time…"_

Arina stopped reading, leaning back on her pillows and grinning to herself. It was so sweet of him to write the letter. He shared a lot of stories about his past, something that she knew next to nothing about, and reminded her that he really cared about her. She absolutely knew that no guy back on Earth would have even thought about writing a letter. Hell, they wouldn't even have bothered to call, probably.

Arina took one last, long look at the letter before carefully folding and vanishing it. She turned her attention to the newspapers again, determined to finish before one in the morning, if at all possible. Flipping rapidly through the pages, Arina turned to the housing section again, then quickly checked the clock. It said that it was already 12:25; her eyes narrowed slightly as she calculated how long it should take.

She looked over the first page. There were several townhouses available in Hayll's capital, Galidah, she noted. The pictures showed tall, thin buildings closely packed together. Arina shook her head slightly. First of all, she needed more space than it looked like the town-houses contained—particularly if she was right and most of the teens started staying with her a lot—and she didn't want to be living in the middle of a city. She didn't think she could tolerate living among that many people for an extended period of time. So in all, townhouses were out. Digging a sharpie out of one of the bags by the bed, she crossed out townhouse on the first page. That left only two more ads on the first page, both of small, almost cottage sized houses near the city. The same exact qualifications as before disqualified these as well. Arina crossed them out and turned to the next pages. Unfortunately, they only contained townhouses and flats in the capital and other cities, and more small houses scattered around the city areas. She groaned as she crossed them off. It was on the fourth and fifth—and final—pages that she really struck gold.

Older houses out in the country side, and huge sprawling mansions with estates around them were peppered around the pages. Arina studied the offerings hungrily. This was what she needed, and she felt a thrill in looking for her own place.

Some of the houses were very old, and many of the estates were in a state of disrepair, but that would be easy enough to fix, she was sure. But many were large and often beautiful, and she could see potential for so much in them.

Still, she frowned to herself. She had been hoping that one of the houses would stand out to her, would call to her in some way so that she knew that she should look at it. But none of the houses seemed special—they were beautiful, and she could tell that some of them would look amazing with some effort put in, but she didn't know if it was worth it to go and look at them. Then again, it was a bit of a foolish hope, she supposed.

Her eyes quickly scanned the pages again, and she paused. Then she shifted the pages and looked intently at an ad that she had somehow overlooked before, and almost missed again. Even now as she stared at it, there was something around that ad that almost made her turn away and forget about it. She tilted her head to the side in curiosity, and reached carefully for her Jewel, then focused on the ad again with the Red.

There was, she decided after several minutes of careful probing, at least three layers to the odd web woven around the ad. The first one was to divert attention from it, the second to hold the other parts of the web in plays, and the third…the third was something that drew in a certain kind of person, and allowed that person to see through the first enchantment. At least, that was Arina's impression of it, and she could easily have been wrong about it. She wondered what it was about her that drew her in—because she was definitely caught.

The ad was very sparse, to be sure. _Starfire Manor, For Sale to Someone Deserving_, it read across the top in small print. Then below that were directions on how to get to it, in even smaller print. Those small three lines were the only things in the entire ad. No pictures, nothing else at all. Arina stared at it in shock, unable to believe that there really was nothing else.

After a moment, she climbed out of the bed with a shiver, and padded across the room to the desk on the other wall. Sitting down in the chair, she called in a frame and spider-silk so that she could weave a tangled web. Starfire Manor, or maybe just the ad for it, called to her in some way—and she needed to figure out why.

The next morning, Arina opened her eyes at eight sharp, despite the late night. Habit from getting up for school every morning and getting up to get out of the house and away from her 'family' even now kept her on an early to rise schedule—besides, while she might grumble in the mornings sometimes, she usually enjoyed them, particularly when she was the only one awake. It was an incredibly peaceful feeling.

The young Witch got quickly out of bed and headed straight into the bathroom to take a shower. She wanted to look as nice and professional as possible, so she took extra time to wash her waist length hair very well. Once she was out, she used Craft to dry and straighten her hair, leaving it loose and flowing down her back. She applied mascara, eye-liner and lipstick quickly before going back into her room to get dressed.

Having never liked the kind of girls who took hours to pick out cloths, it only took a minute or two for her to find a dress. She chose a pure white sheath dress, falling to mid-thigh and clinging to her every curve. With it was a black over gown, made of a silky mesh like material that was woven much like a web, with open spaces everywhere. It tightened around her breasts and hips, but was still loose enough that the sheath was necessary. There were pearls sewn into the hem of the over gown, and held it down. After carefully dressing to make sure that her hair and makeup were not disturbed, Arina returned to the bathroom to put on jewelry.

All of the teens from the Realm had given her something as a welcoming gift, so she had quite a bit to choose from. In the end, a golden belt, set with a beautiful grey stone called earth's moonlight went around her waist—a gift from Farostel. Rose had given her a golden circlet for her head, set with a ruby stone on her forehead, and an anklet from Daemonar completed her ensemble. Moments later Arina rushed out of her rooms barefooted, barely pausing to grab a black bag with the newspaper and a pair of heels.

Knowing that she had to hurry if she wanted to get this done, Arina reached out with the Red to find Karla and Jaenelle as she went in the direction of the breakfast room. She found them in the gardens just as she reached the room.

Thankfully, none of the other girls were awake yet, or at least not in the breakfast room, so Arina quickly grabbed a bunch of muffins and pastries, wrapped all but one and put them in her bag, and left for the gardens after only a few minutes, eating a blueberry muffin.

She reached the garden just as she put the last bite in her mouth, and wove through the paths in the direction of the older Queen's voices. She turned a corner and found both Karla and Jaenelle sitting and talking quietly in a pavilion. Jaenelle looked rather grumpy, but it was pretty early. Arina took a deep, calming breath before moving to join the two.

"Hello, my dear," Karla greeted as Arina climbed the steps. "You're up early today."

Arina shrugged and smiled in response. "Habit," she said lightly. "And hope, I guess. When I was going through the newspaper last night I found the housing section." Arina paused, and Jaenelle and Karla exchanged looks of surprise. That wasn't what they had expected. Arina pressed on. "I want to have my own house—something that I can choose for myself to really represent my new life. So I looked through it."

"It's an understandable desire to have your own place," Jaenelle said slowly. "I myself have my cabin, for instance. But do you really need a house? And in Hayll?"

"Yes, I do need my own house. You've been very kind to me, but I couldn't make myself live off of your hospitality, and I'm fairly sure that I have enough marks to afford my own place, or at least the down payment. Besides, I want one. I can't explain it. And as for it being in Hayll—I think it's the best option. You are living in Dhemlan, and Lucivar is in Avaski, and that only leaves Hayll as a long lived Territory for me to make a home in. You're nice people, but I don't want to be that much in your shadow." Arina smiled wanly. "Besides, this way I'm not moving into any of my friends Territories, so none of them can claim favoritism."

Karla had to laugh. It was a very accurate statement, and she had very good points. "I assume you found something." It wasn't a question.

"Yes. It's called Starfire Manor. And I wove a tangled web last night, and I saw myself going there, and…there was so much joy that I could feel. I have to go, I know it. Please, may I?"

Neither woman was enthusiastic about it. "Alone?" Karla said skeptically. "I really don't think that's the best plan, Arina. You are still very new here, and—"

"I know that," Arina interrupted desperately, "But this is something that I have to do alone, I can feel it. Besides, I'm not exactly defenseless; I did take on Lucivar and held my own for at least ten minutes."

"Your web told you that you have to go alone?" Jaenelle interjected.

"Not in so many words," Arina said reluctantly. "But I couldn't sense anyone else around me, and I could feel that I was alone."

"You are going anyway, no matter what we say, aren't you?" Jaenelle said finally, her voice flat.

Arina met her eyes squarely. "Yes," she said, equally firm. "I'm sorry, but I just have to go."

Jaenelle sighed in defeat, and then gave Arina a sharp look. "Alright then. It's never been wise to ignore a Black Widow's feelings. Here is what is going to happen. You can go, if you contact me when you arrive, and tell me how long it will take you. You will also tell me when you leave. You must be back here by two o'clock at the very latest. If anything—anything at all happens, then you call for help immediately."

Arina nodded quickly. "I can accept that," She said quickly. "_Thank_ _you_, Jaenelle. Thank you so much." Reverting to a seemingly younger age, Arina leaped to her feet and hugged Karla and Jaenelle before rushing out of the garden in the direction of the landing webs. Behind her, Jaenelle laughed and called after her, "I'll explain to the girls. Have fun!"

Arina almost crashed into Emerald and Augustine as the three of them turned the corner at the same time. The girls all blinked at each other for an instant. Emerald and Augustine were both just noticing the rather formal clothes that Arina was wearing when said girl rushed off with a quick, "I'll talk to you later!" thrown over her shoulder. She felt a little bit guilty about leaving the girls like she was, but she was sure that they would understand after she explained why later that evening.

Moments later she had caught the Red Wind and was rushing south toward Hayll, excitement thrumming through her veins. As she traveled, Arina pulled out muffins and systematically started devouring them. It continually amazed her that she could just eat all day and not gain a pound—if anything she could lose weight!

It took a little over two hours to get from Glacia in the north to Hayll in the far south, but she was also riding a dark Wind and was pushing as hard as she could. Arina suspected that it should have taken her longer, but her desperation to get there quickly pushed her faster. As she neared the landing web closest to the manor, Arina calculated that she would only have about two hours at the manor before having to leave at about noon.

She soon reached the landing web, and dropped off. The heat was the first thing to hit her, pressing on all sides without warning, and she glanced around with a gasp of surprise. She was standing in the center of a small clearing, surrounded on all sides by a massive jungle. Humidity hung in the air, and the warmth and heat felt wonderful after the chill of Glacia. She hadn't realized how much she disliked the cold until she was standing in the tropical warmth. Arina sighed blissfully, tilting her head back and closing her eyes as she turned her face to the sun. Around her were the sounds of the wind, the humming of insects, the roar of a waterfall—very close—and in the distance, shrieks of larger animals.

After a few minutes of stillness, Arina pulled herself together and started walking along the path that started at the web. It was a walkway made of a strange white stone, rubbed smooth by age. A little bit ahead of her was a sharp turn in the path, and as she reached it and turned, she stopped dead.

Ahead of her sprawled a huge lawn. The grass was dotted by massive trees, which were in turn surrounded by flowers, or sometimes even covered with vines. The white path meandered through the grass and trees until it reached a large circle drive.

Behind the drive was the Manor itself. It was built of the same white stone as the pathway, on a much larger scale. The pale stones gleamed brightly under the sunlight, almost dazzling in its brilliance. The building was large and sprawling; it distinctly reminded Arina of the Tudor castles in England on Earth. There were several turrets, and huge windows could be seen almost everywhere along the walls.

As beautiful as the building physically appeared, the best part to Arina was the way that it felt—welcoming, and homelike. There was a definite feeling of joy in the air that Arina could have sworn was directed at her. The girls eyes drifted over the Manor with a wistful smile. Off to the right side she could see a stable, and the room had several flat parts—in one of them she could see what looked like a greenhouse, and at least two other rooftop gardens from where she was standing.

Starting to move across the lawn through the grass, Arina continued to drink in the surroundings. Along the edge of the building was a line of ash trees reaching up to the second floor windows. Around the edges of the Manor she could see a sudden drop off, and realized that the estate was build on the edge of a cliff. A thrill ran through her. There was a river rushing on the left side of the manor next to the jungle edge, the source of the water she had heard earlier. The end of the river plunged off the cliff, and she realized why the river had been so loud—it was right there.

After almost five minutes of slow walking, Arina had finally reached the huge doorway. Nervous now, she knocked almost hesitantly on the door. Realizing that no one would be able to hear the knock over the noise of the waterfall, she gathered her wits and pounded on the door again.

A minutes pause passed before Arina faintly heard footsteps. The door glided soundlessly open, and an imperious, elderly woman stood in the entrance.

"Welcome to Starfire Manor," the woman said calmly. "Please, come in." the woman stepped aside to let the girl pass, and closed the door behind her. Arina started slightly as the sound of the waterfall almost entirely cut off. Turning, the woman guided Arina through the large, sunlit entrance hall and into a small parlor, then left her there with the assurance that she would notify "the mistress" of her arrival, and fetch some tea and snacks.

Overwhelmed, Arina barely managed to nod before the woman left the room. Sinking down bonelessly onto a sofa, she looked around the room. In a sharp contrast to the outside of the building and the entrance hall, this room was darker; painted a dark, midnight blue, and the furniture made of dark woods, it had a very soothing effect after the brightness outside. There was still a measure of brightness in the room—a cut crystal vase filled with orchids stood on a little table under a window to the side, throwing sparkles on the wall.

Arina adored the room, and the mansion as a whole. She couldn't imagine living anywhere else after being here, it called to her so strongly.

She turned back to the door at the sound of pattering footsteps in the hall. The door opened again, and Arina, expecting the housekeeper, blinked in surprise at the small, elegant, grandmotherly type woman now standing in front of her.

"Well, it's about time that you got here," the strange woman said chidingly. "I've been waiting for centuries, my dear."

Arina's jaw dropped in outright shock.

**AN:**

**Well, this didn't get as far as I thought it was going to, but I'm happy with where it went. I'm even posting on the first, and that was exceedingly difficult. Please, I would appreciate every review that you are willing to give me! Let me know what you think of the chapter. Thank you so much for sticking with my story so far.**

**Actually, I'm posting on the second, because the internet here at my house is being a stupid piece of shit, and won't load.**


	10. Chapter 10

_Review:_

"_Well, it's about time that you got here," the strange woman said chidingly. "I've been waiting for centuries, my dear."_

_Arina's jaw dropped in outright shock._

"I…what?" Arina gasped, her voice faint. "I don't understand."

"I know you don't, child," the grandmother—Arina realized that this must be "The Mistress" that the housekeeper had mentioned—replied lightly, stepping inside the room and moving across to sit on a delicate chair opposite the young girl. "That's quite alright. We have some time before Mrs. Iden will return with refreshments, so I will explain."

Arina nodded reluctantly. She leaned back in the sofa and slipped her heels off before she pulled her legs up to her side and curling up rather like a cat on the couch, turning her attention back to the lady. "I'm listening," she said quietly.

The older women smiled sweetly. "My name is Sandra Starwood. My family has owned this manor for over 75000 years. I never thought that it would leave my family; it has been with us for so long. After all, we had never forgotten our roots." She paused at Arina's look of curiosity. "Our ancestors were simple people who hunted in the jungle all those years ago. They came across a cliff with stone that glowed in the sun. After digging it out, they found that the stone absorbed light of all kinds, and when they took it home with then, they found that it reflected that light and glowed in the starlight. They learned and adjusted quickly, began making the stones into jewelry, and soon grew wealthy. After some time, one of the sons of the family married into the aristocracy and had the manor built, but even then, he didn't forget his roots." Lady Starwood smiled sadly. "But my children didn't want the manor. They all moved to the big cites, and their children don't want the manor either. When I realized that my children would sell the manor if it was given to them, I wove a tangled web to see if my grandchildren would want it. But I didn't see any of my grandchildren. Instead, I saw you, and I knew that you would be the one to take the manor from me. I knew you would love it as I did."

"But that was a long, long time ago, child, even by my standards. I am old. I had almost given up hope that you were coming, my dear." Arina blinked at her in surprise.

"You don't seem that old," the young girl murmured in surprise, half closing her eyes as she absorbed what she had been told. The information about the family was interesting, and she understood the message behind it—don't forget the people who were here first. She also empathized with the importance of the jungle; she had only been here less than an hour, but she already felt a strong pull toward it. It was reassuring to know that Lady Starwood was happy that she was taking the house. It might have been very uncomfortable.

"You are a sweet child," Lady Starwood said. "I am over 4,500 years old. While not as old as Lord SaDiablo is, it is still very old. Now that you are here, I can finally rest."

Arina made a strangled, gasping sound. Mrs. Iden walked in with a tray of tea and sandwiches while she stared at Lady Starwood in horror.

"Oh, don't look that way, dear," Lady Starwood said calmly. "I'm quite pleased about it. I am ready to pass, child. I've spent my time. Now, if you want a drink before we go to tour the house, then take a cup." The lady leaned forward and poured herself a cup of tea, and Arina hesitantly followed her example.

Once both females had a cup of tea in their hands, Lady Starwood stood up with her cup in her hands. After enchanting the tray to follow behind the pair, she led Arina out of the drawing room and back into the entrance hall. The silver eyed girl blinked once at the brightness, but her eyes adjusted quickly and she once again saw the brilliantly lit room clearly.

"The study is on the end there," the Lady said, nodding to the end of the hall and a door made of a cloudy crystal. It was behind the stairs, not hidden, but not obvious either. A public space, not the real study, Arina assumed. "Also on the first floor are two other receiving rooms and a formal dining room. Upstairs are several guest bedrooms, an entrance to the library, the ballroom…"

Arina's head spun as the tour went on. In addition to the ballroom, guest rooms and libraries, there was a solar—in a nook with a glass ceiling overlooking the cliff—a music room also facing the cliff, a few office type rooms with large desks and bookshelves, three empty rooms and what looked like two practice rooms: one with padded walls, and the other with mirrors. It looked like they were set up for weapons practice, and the padded room would work perfectly for her martial arts.

The ballroom was floored with the glowing white stone prevalent everywhere in the manor—she discovered that it was named starstone, aptly enough—and lined with mirrors. It reminded her quite a bit of pictures of the Versailles palace in France, with some differences, naturally. Despite the obvious elegance of the room, it wasn't obnoxiously so, and as the girl looked up at the crystal and gold chandeliers she could see herself having celebrations in the room. She made a mental note to find some black marble tables for the room to contrast with the brilliance. Arina smiled at the thought of the room being in direct contrast to the Blood's reverence for the Darkness—she could certainly appreciate it, at least.

Most of the rooms either had no furniture at all, or only generic pieces with no soul. The only exceptions were the offices, which held desks and bookshelves made of a very nice, heavy, mahogany type wood. So as Lady Starwood showed Arina around the second floor, the girl called in a notebook and a camera and took pictures of every room and jotted down her thoughts for the type of furniture—light, heavy, dark, old, modern—and noted wither or not she wanted a rug in the room. Some of the rooms could use a lamp or two, and some needed curtains, so Arina also noted the type of fabric she wanted for the rooms.

The suites on the second floor were generic, decorated in white and creams, and Arina took pictures for the shape of the room, and simply noted that she wanted a total makeover, including paint for them all.

The third floor turned out to be where the family would gather, with all the family bedrooms, and several large gathering spaces all over the floor with different views from each. Arina decided that she wanted the gathering spaces to have a darker tone than the bright ones already in place, taking pictures and making notes. Most of the library was on the third floor as well, needing nothing more than wall hangings and carpets to complete the decorations. There was a Healers room on the third floor, as well as a Black Widow's workroom.

Lady Silverwood smiled as she watched the young girl scribble down ideas on a note pad, taking pictures of the rooms as well. She was sure that the manor would flourish under this girl, even more than it had under her family. The true mistress of the house had arrived.

"Come," the woman said at last, once she had lead Arina through the entire house. "For the finishing details." She took Arina back down to the drawing room they had started from, leading her into the room to join another woman. There was paperwork spread out in neat piles over a table, already signed in places.

The woman—a real estate agent—and Lady Silverwood walked Arina through the papers to officially sell the house, and Arina signed in a daze, hardly daring to believe that it was really happening. They had almost finished before Arina came back to herself.

"Wait," she said abruptly. "How much are you selling for?" She pulled the papers closer and scanned them, trying to locate the price.

"100 gold marks," Lady Silverwood said calmly. Arina dropped the papers in shock, sputtering.

"Don't be ridiculous," the girl finally managed. "The manor is worth at least ten times that!"

"Perhaps, yes," the older woman allowed, sitting back and looking at Arina steadily. "But that does not mean that I need the money, or that it should cost much to give the manor to its true mistress. My dear, I have no need for money. My family is wealthy, and I will be well supported by them. I do not need to empty your pockets for the manor. Besides, this house is meant for you. I would be a fool to make it difficult for you. And on top of that," she shrugged quietly. "I said so, that's why. So just smile, and accept it."

Arina didn't want charity, but at the same time she couldn't afford the house if it was too much more money, so she didn't argue the point any further. She felt bad about it, but the real estate agent just shook her head at the younger girl. "Lady Silverwood is famous for always coming off better in her bargains, child," she advised. "Don't worry about cheating her or anything. I don't think that it's even possible. Now, I need you to sign your full name here, please."

"All right, all right," Arina surrendered, pulling the last page forward to sign her name. Arina Julianne Valini From there, it only took another ten minutes at the most for details to be finalized, and soon Arina was being handed a sleek deed of ownership to the house. A thrill went down her back as she looked at it.

"Congratulations, my dear," Lady Silverwood said gently.

"Thank you," Arina said breathlessly. "Thank you so much."

"Think nothing of it, child. Now, did you not mention earlier that you had a timeline?"

Arina checked her watch and made a strangled gasping noise. "Oh, _shit_!" she leaped to her feet, almost sending the papers flying. The real estate agent scrambled to vanish the papers as Arina rushed through a goodbye and several more "thank yous"s and a few "sorry"s as she bolted out the door. Both older women looked at each other, and then laughed. _Youths these days_, they both thought.

Arina pushed as hard as she could on the winds, and just barely arrived back in Glacia by two. Dropping off the winds, she breathed a sigh of relief as she checked her watch while walking in the door. Two o'clock on the dot. "Honey, I'm home," she sing-songed, reaching out with a psychic thread to find everyone else. Locating them on the second floor, she bounded up the stairs and into the gathering room. "I have a house!" she exclaimed from the doorway.

The girls, Jaenelle and Karla all looked up in surprise. "Already, really? That was fast," Jaenelle observed.

"I know," Arina responded, collapsing into a chair and stretching absently. "I couldn't believe it either. But it really happened. I even have the deed," she added, calling it in and showing it to Jaenelle in excitement.

"Arina Julianne Valini. That's a beautiful name, my dear. Wait, Starfire Manor?" Jaenelle asked incredulously. "I've heard of that place. Isn't it in the middle of the jungle, and as old as the Hall? Owned by a prominent Hayllian family?"

"Yeah, I think so. At least, it's definitely in the middle of the jungle, and it's actually 75000 years old, so older than the Hall, I think. But I didn't meet the current family; they didn't want to live in the middle of the jungle, so they've been trying to get the Matriarch to sell it for years. But the Matriarch was a Black Widow, and apparently she was waiting for me. At least, she wouldn't sell to anyone else, and made very sure of that. The ad that I found in the newspaper, it had a strange enchantment on it so that no one but me could read it. I still don't know how she managed to key it to me, seeing as she had never met me, but there you go. It worked, anyway, and I got my own house as well!"

"Why do you need your own house?" Rose demanded. "What's wrong with the Hall?"

"I'm sure that nothing is wrong with the Hall. But that's your family's home, not mine. I need to make my own place, away from all of your families and influences. My home, my life, you know? But it has to be in one of the long lived territories, so that narrows it down to three places. Rose, your family rules Dhemlan, so that's out. Rillian, Lillian, your family rules Avaski, so that's out as well. That only leaves Hayll, right? It's a distance from both other long lived territories, and no one from Jaenelle's court hails from there. It's a clean space for me." Arina smiled hesitantly at the other girls, who looked disgruntled and not very convinced. "Besides, Hayll called to me. When I went there, the jungle sang to me."

Augustine smiled reluctantly at the other girl. "You have to get space from the Circle so that you can make your own court and your own path without anyone trying to tell you how to do it. And you can't live in any of the territories we live in, or you would be accused of favoritism."

"Exactly," Arina said dryly. "Not that it's fair or anything. It's just easier that way.

"Ok, fine, alright," Rose said in exasperation when Arina looked back at the girls pleadingly. "Whatever you say. I get it."

"But you do know that you will have to get houses or something in our territories eventually, right?" Titan said wickedly. "Hell's fire, the boyos have probably already found places for you to get." The other girls made various noises of agreement.

"I will pick my own houses, thanks," Arina muttered darkly.

"Try telling that to the boyos," Astira said lightly.

"Oh, no worries, I have no problems telling people _no_." Arina called in her camera and her laptop, ignoring for the moment the curious stares that she was getting. She got up and crossed over to the center table and set up the laptop on it, turning it on absently.

"What's that?" Emerald asked curiously, leaning forward to look more closely at the computer.

"It's a portable computer…I'm not sure how to explain it though. It does a lot of things, almost anything, really. When it connects to something called the internet, which of course here is…" Arina stopped, staring at the small symbol in the corner of the screen. "is. Huh. That is…really weird. It shouldn't be possible, but apparently it is connected to the internet. Well, it's something for me to muse on at a later date. Anyway, it can access music, books, newspapers, magazines, movies—recorded plays, and more. Information on anything and everything, and that's really just the start. I don't know much about how it works, only how to work it. But almost everything back on Earth was done online, so pretty much everything is on it. There are games you can play, you can compile documents professionally, and….well, let's just say that you can do anything you want on a computer, pretty much. Right now, I'm uploading the pictures that I took at Starfire Manor so I can show you guys before we go shopping. They will show up on the screen in a minute."

All of the girls, even Jaenelle and Karla crowded around the screen as Arina deftly connected the camera to the laptop and opened up the file that appeared on the screen.

"Ooohhh," Alexandra gasped. The others all made similar noises of astonishment, as the first image of the front of the Manor filled the screen. Arina sighed happily at the sight, impressed despite having seen the real thing. The image captured the light that infused the building, and showed the beauty of the jungle surrounding the manor. It was easy to see why Arina loved the place so much already.

The Queen in question clicked through the pictures, showing the rooms she wanted to get furniture for immediately and ignoring the multitudes of other rooms for now. She explained what she wanted while she showed the rooms: the library, the 'family' bedrooms and gathering spaces, the dining room, the practice rooms. Places she needed ready for when she moved in so that she had somewhere to eat, sleep, and work. The other rooms could afford to wait awhile, also giving her time to really plan what she wanted for them in greater detail. And it would help total renovations if she didn't have to move the furniture around too much.

"So, were we planning to go to the stores in Hayll first, or to Dharo for rugs?" she asked the adults once she had cycled back to the first picture again.

"Hayll first," Karla said decisively. "We'll stay in the capital over night, finish up the last of the shoping in the morning and then head over to Dharo before lunch. We won't have as much time in Dharo as originally planned," Arina flushed slightly but didn't look away from Karla's slightly reproving stare. Karla continued. "But not only are there enough of you to make sure it works out, but now we have a better idea of what we're getting." She finished speaking and turned towards the door with an intent look on her face. "The carriage is waiting for us in the drive, if you are all packed and ready to go," she announced, getting up herself and starting for the door with Jaenelle.

Arina turned off the laptop as the girls all started talking at once. Vanishing it once the screen had gone black, she got up, listening with amusement to Titan and Alexandra, both city raised, who were already arguing over what stores they should go to first. Emerald started arguing that they couldn't make the decision yet because Hayll probably had stores that they didn't know about that might be better, so they should wait. Arina laughed.

"What did you want to get first?" Lauranna asked her. "Tables, beds, lamps…"

"Beds, probably," Arina said thoughtfully. "Once I figure out what size of bed I want, the rest of the room just comes together. After all, you have to know how much space you have before you can go and get all kinds of knickknacks that don't fit," she reasoned.

"Big beds?" Rillian said with a grin.

Arina smirked at her. "I know I kick in my sleep, so little beds just don't cut it for me. I'd fall off of it and hit the floor, and then I'll just be upset. So yeah, big beds are a must for me. You too, I imagine, with the wings."

"Of course," Rillian said with a shrug, rustling her wings slightly. "But there are other advantages," she added with a small, demure smile.

"Oh, I bet."

"Wait," Lillian said with a smile, leaning forward excitedly. "Do you mean that we get rooms at your house?"

Arina raised her eyebrows at the younger girl. "Of course. Don't you have rooms at the Hall?"

The girls all squealed in excitement; Arina gathered that they had hoped that they would get rooms, but hadn't wanted to assume. They immediately started planning the rooms, thrilled that they got to design the whole thing. Leaning back, Arina let the hum of voices carry her to sleep. She was already tired after her frantic morning, and she knew that she was going to need all of her energy to get through the afternoon. She was sure that the short nap would be enough to tide her over.

Seven hours after she woke up from her short nap, Arina finally fell onto her bed for the night in a hotel room that she was sharing. Augustine, her roommate, settled down beside her with a sympathetic smile. Arina threw her arm over her face with another groan at the look on her face.

"I know," Augustine said dryly in response. "The SaDiablo women possess energy at a level that should be illegal. We all hate shopping with them, but at the same time, we are so used to it that we don't even register it as unusual. We didn't think to warn you. If it helps at all, though, you kept up very well."

"It doesn't help, thanks," Arina responded, her voice muffled by her arm. Shopping at all wasn't something that she was used to, unlike most teenage girls. Her only previous experience had been her spree before coming to the Realms, and that was radically different. She had been alone, not in a group of about ten, she hadn't been on a deadline like she was today, and she hadn't really been looking for anything in particular. She had just been looking to see what was there, having no expectations or needs. Looking for items that she would be using to furnish her house for a very long time at least, if not forever, was so much more demanding. It had taken her ages to find everything that she wanted, but she knew that she had to be picky. This was her first house, and she wanted everything to go perfectly. If she had any concerns about liking it or it fitting into her house, she didn't get it. But it was difficult, and very expensive. Sweet Darkness, it had cost her 350 gold marks already—over half her remaining funds!

On the bright side, though, the intensive session meant that they didn't need to finish furniture shopping in the morning. By the time that they had finished, and Arina went through her lists of things she had needed and purchases that she had made, she had crossed of everything on her lists. A very good thing, considering how expensive it had gotten. Arina had put her foot down when Jaenelle suggested continuing in the morning, insisting that she had everything she needed.

So they were heading to Dharo in the morning to get rugs. Arina had hope that it wasn't going to be as bad as today had been, but she didn't have much of it. She had a feeling that it was going to be every bit as horrible.

Arina went over the things she had gotten in her mind with a slight smile, hearing Augustine go over to her own bed for the night. The furniture that she had gotten was made of dark woods, to contrast with the light stone. The fabrics were usually darker, but sometimes she had found pieces with light fabrics that looked good. Mostly the fabrics were jewel toned, and made of leather or other sturdy materials.

She had gotten some black marble tables, and a mahogany dining room table as well. She had found three black lamps, and one crystal desk lamp. And of course, many large, four poster beds as well, each uniquely designed. There were dozens of other pieces that she had picked up to put around the house as well.

Arina fell asleep then, exhausted by the day, not really looking forward to tomorrow.

It was exactly as bad as she had feared. Arina cast a despairing look at the piles of rugs growing in the space that Jaenelle had reserved. The others were all roaming through the market, continually finding more rugs and other weavings to add. Arina huffed, then abandoned the pile she had been looking through for something new and moved instead toward the reserved piles. _Time to weed out the stack_, she thought in resignation.

Reluctantly, Arina sat down in front of the nearby pile of rugs and began sorting through them. She had set a budget of about 150 gold marks, with 200 at the absolute most. The piles had to be at least two, or even three times that amount. Picking through the first pile, Arina grimaced at a pink carpet that had she had uncovered and immediately removed. Most of the others were very nice though, but Arina had to pick out her absolute favorites, because there were four separate piles to go through.

Arina turned the four boles of "hey, that seems cool" into three piles: An "Oh, hell no, this is not ever going in my house," a "Well maybe. We'll see about prices," and finally, the "I love this. I'm keeping it." There were more than rugs in the piles as well. There were also blankets and wall hangings among the piles. Most things in the keep pile were of abstract designs or landscapes. There were all amazing, and spoke to Arina's desire to travel that she had always harbored.

There was more than what she had really needed in her house when she was finally finished sorting out the piles. There were just so many that were exquisite, and she already knew just where she would put every single one.

Nervously she checked the prices when she was finished. The total price of the pieces that she wanted to keep was just over 191 gold marks, and Arina breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't that important that she kept them all, but she still wanted them very badly. She felt somewhat silly for being so happy that they fell in her budget—if only just—but couldn't feel sorry for it.

Arina checked her watch as she flagged down one of the workers to pay for her choices. It was already four in the afternoon, and considering that the on the Opal wind it would take over three hours to reach the Hall from here, she knew they needed to leave soon. They would be staying at the Hall until Arina was ready to move into the Manor—or more accurately, until she was allowed to move into the Manor, she corrected herself.

The manager of the market himself came to check Arina out, and she couldn't tell if it was because of Jaenelle's influence or not. She handed over the rugs, blankets and hangings that she had chosen with specific directions that he send them straight away to Starfire Manor, just like the furniture was being sent. Once she paid, she hunted down the other girls, eventually tracked them in front of yet another wall covered with hangings.

"We're done here, children," she announced. "Already done and paid for. Let's head out, shall we?"

The girls all looked at each other in surprise. "So quickly?" Titan asked in obvious disappointment.

"It _is_ already four," Alexandra acknowledged after a moment. "It's high time that we headed back to the Hall if we are going to be on time for dinner." Titan grumbled in resigned acceptance.

The group wound through the rows of the market, looking around with interest. Now that they weren't focused specifically on weavings, they felt free to scan the stalls for other items. Titan picked up a new messenger bag from one of the stalls, Rose found a new blue dress that she loved, and Astira got a necklace.

Arina hesitated at a stall that sold woven bracelets, an Earth tradition coming to mind. She waited for the other girls to pass by before she went up to the woman behind the stall and smiling at her. "Hello," she said, scanning the display as she spoke. Her eyes were drawn to a set of bracelets of in a corner of the table. She reached for them, fascinated. Black was the base color, and there were red symbols running around them both, with some similar and some different symbols—Arina was sure that they were some kind of runes. The red symbols were edged in gold on the masculine bracelet, and silver on the female one. It was obvious that they were made to be in a set, which was exactly what she was looking for. "What do these symbols mean?" she asked.

The woman's eyes lit up in excitement. She took the female bracelet and turned it over in her hands so that the clasp was showing, putting her finger on the first of the symbols. "This is Hope," she explained. "Love. Trust. Faith. Power. Peace. Wisdom." The woman put that bracelet down and took the masculine one from Arina. "Strength. Protector. Power. Love. Faith. Service. Trust. Hope." She set it down next to the other one, and smiled at Arina. "It was a new idea that I had, making a specific pair." Arina glanced at the woman's chest, where her Black Widow's Hourglass was visible.

"How much?" she asked.

"Three silver marks," the woman replied.

Arina called in the marks and promptly handed them over. "Could you wrap them up for me? It's a present for a…friend."

The woman gave her a sly smile as she wrapped the bracelets in gold foil paper. Arina blushed slightly and vanished the package quickly before hurrying after the girls, who were lingering curiously a few stalls down. "Don't say a word," Arina hissed at them. Rose giggled quietly, and there were several smirks, but no one said anything, to Arina's relief.

They quickly met Karla and Jaenelle at the market entrance. The older Queens were waiting inside the carriage for the girls, talking quietly. They both turned to the teens when they arrived, smiling. "Are you ready to go home, girls?" Jaenelle asked in amusement. "Everyone is waiting for us at the Hall. They miss us," she added, smirking.

"More than ready to go home," Rillian admitted, ignoring the last part of Jaenelle's statement. "I want to see my dad and my brothers. I really want to sleep in my own bed!" Lillian nodded hard in agreement. Arina remembered that their mother was a hearth witch, and wondered if that had anything to do with the girls desire to go home. Neither of the Eyrians were Queens, though she thought that Lillian might be a healer.

The others all chimed in with their agreement, longing for their families. "It's been a long three weeks," Augustine admitted.

Arina looked out the window of the carriage to distance herself from the conversation, only to remember that they had moved onto the winds, and there was nothing to see out the window. She felt uncomfortable with the conversation, considering that she had always tried to avoid her 'home' and her family. The concept of having a true home, one that she missed when she was away and looked forward to returning to seemed almost alien to her.

Remembering Starfire Manor, Arina smiled to herself. Soon she would have a home that she would love. For now, she was going to the home of her friends—another strange thing. And waiting for her were more friends, among them someone who could be much more than a friend.

She smiled more widely and turned back to her friends to join the conversation.

**AN: Ok, wow, this is late. I am so very sorry that this is not on time. I had a church retreat over the weekend, and had no computer access, but that's not an excuse. I hope that this is an adequate offering to make you forgive me. **

**As always, I ask that you please review to help me continue writing.**

**Next chapter will include Arina finding out her Dream form, and reuniting with the boys at the Hall. Review to help me write!**


	11. Chapter 11

Sitting in the carriage, riding the Winds towards Jaenelle's home, the Hall, Arina looked expectantly at the older woman. "You said that you would show me how to see the Dream beneath the flesh today," she reminded Jaenelle eagerly. "Why not right now?"

Jaenelle shook her head in quiet amusement at Arina's excitement. "Aright," she agreed with a smile. "Why not indeed?" Jaenelle stood and beckoned Arina to follow her into the small private room in the carriage, explaining "It will be easier for you to focus if you aren't being watched." The others all made various noises of embarrassment and turned their heads away, avoiding looking at Arina when she twisted around. Arina made a face at them as she closed the door behind her. A pulse of Jaenelle's Twilight's Dawn rendered the room silent as the outside noise cut off. Jaenelle pointed to the bed, and Arina obediently sat down, excited to start, and pulled her legs up to sit cross-legged. Jaenelle called in a chair and sat across from her.

"The first step is to find your own place in the Abyss," Jaenelle began. "Every Witch has one. When you are there, everything will…how can I put this…fall away, all the influences from this world. It's very peaceful. You find out who you really are when you are there," she added, her expression dreamy. "While you are here in this Realm, or any of the Realms, there is so much pressure on you, it's almost easier to hold the illusion around yourself. In your case, of course, it is much deeper than an illusion, but for me it's easier to look like a normal human here in the Realms, but almost impossible there. When you find your own place in the Abyss, like the Misty Place is for me, then I believe that you will know what to do to find your spirit." Jaenelle shrugged and smiled wryly at the look on Arina's face. "I'm sorry that's the best I can say," she added, "But I've never had a situation like this before."

"Oh, I know," Arina muttered darkly. She rolled over what Jaenelle had said in her mind, thoughtful. "What do you mean, my 'place in the Abyss'?" she asked finally. Jaenelle smiled and held out her hand in invitation instead of responding. Arina took it, and closed her eyes when Jaenelle did. Instantly an odd, falling sensation rushed over her, before everything went still again. Cautiously, Arina opened her eyes. She gasped silently in shock at the sight that greeted her, very different from the small room she had been in before.

The round stone space was surrounded by towering walls, with an alter set up in the center of the small circle. Mist coiled around the stones and curled up the girl's legs as she stood looking around. Arina slowly turned in place, looking up at the walls and feeling the press of the Darkness—heavy, but not as oppressive as it seemed like it should be, if you judged by the swirling, misty atmosphere.

"This is the Misty Place," Jaenelle's voice murmured from the shadows. It was different than Arina was used to, more spectral, with a midnight and lightning edge to it. Arina turned back around to face the direction the voice came from, somewhat wary.

Jaenelle—the Dream Beneath the Flesh—smiled at Arina. Eyes wide, she took in the pointed ears, unicorn horn, claws, and faun legs. She wasn't wearing any clothing either, so Arina got a very good look at the changes in the woman she knew to the one standing in front of her. Still, they were the same person. "This is my place in the Abyss," Jaenelle continued. "But not yours. Do you know what to do from here? Where to go?" she asked.

In response, Arina closed her eyes and concentrated, reaching out with her mind. After a minute of focus, she began to feel a pull. She couldn't say what direction that the tug had come from, only that it was there, and strong. Opening her eyes again, the young girl met Jaenelle's sapphire eyes with silver. The woman smiled at her gently and said, "Go."

It was like she had been holding a rope that connected her to the ground, and letting it go also removed gravity. Following the tugging feeling, Arina felt like she was rising up at the same time as going down, falling and rising simultaneously. _Downside up is upside down_, she thought giddily. She closed her eyes again to concentrate on the feeling, and found that she was rushing upwards. Absently, she wondered how she was going up, and then more importantly, why she was going up. The Abyss and the Webs were down, descending into the darkness. That had been drummed into her head for as long as she had been here.

Arina's feet touched ground at that moment, and her thought process derailed in surprise as she snapped open her eyes and looked down. It wasn't precisely that she was embarrassed to find herself almost entirely naked—she just hadn't been expecting it. Although she really should have been, considering that Jaenelle hadn't exactly been wearing any clothes. Arina found that she was wearing a _very_ sheer "gown," or long and formal looking dress, that interestingly enough left her back bare. She couldn't imagine _why_. She smiled, amused at the idea that her modest former life in the United States on Earth had contrasted with her new surroundings in the very open sexuality in the Realms enough to give her a full set of clothing—almost completely see through. It was an oddly funny, though pointless, gesture. Arina had to smother a giggle.

Refocusing and looking up again, Arina took stock of her surroundings. It was so very different in almost every way from Jaenelle's Misty Place, Arina couldn't believe that they were both almost the same thing. Her bare feet rested on rough stone, but it was very different from the stone circle of the Misty Place, where the stone was smooth. Instead, it was natural, the rough rock of a cliff top or rocky beach. Ahead of her, the ground sloped down gently, and to the left and right the slope appeared to be circular in shape, forming a great half dome beneath her feet. It was filled with a pool of perfectly clear water, and at the bottom of the pool glittered stones of every color: silver, blue, gold, black, bronze, red, green, purple…they shone in the depths, even down what had to be fifty feet, still perfectly clear and bright. The water was still, and there were flat white stepping stones stretching out from the edge of the pool all the way to the middle.

Arina caught her breath at the sight in the center of the pool. Her earlier thought came back to her—_Downside up is upside down_—as she stared in astonishment at the waterfall in the exact center point of the water. _It's falling up_, she thought dizzily. And indeed, the water was rising up in a smooth column, rather than the crashing fall that she had witnessed at Starfire Manor. The stream rose up towards the sky, shimmering with an inner glow, and Arina tilted her head back to follow the path of the water, and found herself staring into the Darkness and the depths of the Abyss.

Instantly, she spun around to see what was behind her, and found a towering ash tree perched right on the edge of a cliff edge. Beyond it there was a steep drop, and Arina cautiously approached the edge and stared down. Below her spread the Webs of Power in reverse: Black, Ebon-grey, Grey, Red, Sapphire, Green, Opal, Purple Dusk, Summer Sky, Rose, Tiger-Eye, Yellow and White. Shaking her head in disbelief at the sight, Arina turned back to the equally amazing site of the pool, then paused.

"You will know what to do," Jaenelle had told her. "You find out who you really are."

Arina closed her eyes and reached hesitantly for her Jewel. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, and so she was neither surprised nor disappointed when that didn't do anything to help her understand what to do. Opening her eyes again in resignation, the first things that she saw were the stepping stones gleaming on the water's surface. Acting purely on instinct, Arina stepped out onto the first of the stones. The hem of her gown trailed in the water as she continued from stone to stone toward the rising flow of water in the middle of the pool By the time that she had reached it a few minutes of careful steps later, she had decided to call the strange thing the waterrise—it was simple and neat, and it worked. She stared into the smooth surface of the water at her reflection for a long moment, and then sank down to her knees without looking away.

Silver eyes set in a heart shaped face with high cheekbones and golden skin stared back at her. The reflection showed long, slender, elegant limbs, and long black hair with bronze and copper streaks. Her body was well proportioned, slender but muscled, and her breasts, clearly seen through the sheer gown, were fair sized and firm, but not excessively large. She was a beautiful girl.

Arina stretched out her hand to touch her reflection, almost in a trance. She lay her hand on the surface of the water very gently, not breaking the surface but resting against it as though it was made of ice instead of water. Ripples spread from her hand over the water, blurring her reflection for and endless second.

A shiver ran through her skin in the second that it took her image to reform. A low ache spread through her legs, rear, and back, throbbing slowly. Her head pounded in pain, her jaws and the crown of her head the worst affected. Her hands ached as though they had been frozen and were now being warmed up, with the same burning pins and needles sensation. Her vision wavered even as the reflection blurred. Then her vision had cleared, and she was once again looking at her reflection in the mirror. Unbidden, the words of one of her favorite Disney songs suddenly came to her: "Who is that girl I see/ staring straight/ back at me. Why is my reflection someone I/ don't know?"

Arina tried to focus on the changes to her body, but her mind kept shying away from the idea in quiet desperation. _Oh get over it_, she told herself sharply in frustration. _It's not that big of a deal—besides, I always knew I was different. Why am I so very afraid of the proof? Oh. Well, when I put it that way…_

The silver eyes that she was so used to seeing in the mirror were still silver, but now they were slit-pupiled, like a cat's eyes, and gleamed slightly in the reflection of light from the waterrise. When her mouth opened in silent shock, Arina found that her teeth were somewhat sharper, and her canines were very much longer and sharper than before. They were almost but not quite fangs, exactly, but still very eerie. But while the eyes and the fangs were definitely weird, they weren't glaringly obvious changes. Perhaps that was the reason that she focused on them before any of the other changes, which were very obvious.

Arina had a moment of total confusion as she stared at herself in the water. It looked like she was wearing a costume headband from Earth, almost exactly like the one Sara had worn for Halloween one year, before the drugs. She had dressed as Cat-woman. Arina stared at the cat ears on her head, confused. She couldn't imagine why she would be wearing fake ears, because they wouldn't even have them here. That's about when the fuzzy pointed black ears twitched slightly in response to her shock and fear, and she felt the twitch. Forcing herself to relax, Arina watched in fascination as the ears—her ears—came back up. They were dark black and pretty small and delicate looking due to short fur. She could vaguely remember stories about people with ears sort of like these, but different. They were called Kitsunes, she remembered, Japanese fox spirits. They were women from the legends in Japan, who had fox ears and tails. She stopped breathing for a moment as she realized what she had just thought. Tails.

Arina's eyes flickered down, closer to waist level. Now that she knew what to look for after the ears, she could feel new limbs—the ears for one, but more than just those—limbs that she could move at will. Her ears twitched back slightly in nervousness, and almost in response, a long slender black furred tail wrapped around her waist, coming into sight. One of her neighbors had a black cat once, several years ago, and her new tail reminded her of the cat and its tail. It had the same long, thin and muscled appearance, though on a larger scale, of course. It was very elegant, the tail, she had to admit. Unusual, but very elegant looking. The ears and tail were like a Kitsune, she thought, but more cat-like than fox-like. Foxes were bushier, and she thought that they had longer fur than her ears and tail did.

Reaching out to grab the tail, Arina was momentarily derailed by the sight of delicate looking claws on her fingers. Flexing her fingers, she watched wickedly sharp claw slide out of her hands . she stared at them in awe before shaking her head to snap herself out of it. She had seen the same thing on Jaenelle's hands, so at least there were some similarities between her and the older Witch.

Absently, she wondered where the ears and tail came from, knowing that Witch was shaped by the Dreamers of the realms. She knew that there were kindred cats—the tigers and the Arcerians—but tigers were striped, and Arcerians were solid white, not black. But her ears and tail had to come from a big cat, so she started running through different breeds in her head: tigers, lions, cheetahs, leopards…and stopped on black panthers. Big, solid black jungle cats. Arina thought, then shrugged, resolving to ask Jaenelle if she knew about any kindred panthers about it and check around when she got back to Hayll, where they probably would be living if they existed.

The shrug brought her attention back to the largest change in her body, the most visible and dramatic, that she had been trying to ignore the most because it scared her the most—and excited her at the same time.

Wings.

Huge, beautiful wings that spread out from her shoulders in a fan of golden-brown feathers, cresting in a pale white gold at the top and darkening to a deep brown-black at the tips. They reminded her somewhat of the Eyrien wings, but at the same time not at all. For one thing, they were feathery, not membranous. The shape was different as well, more hawk-like than the bat shape of the Eyrien race.

In a sort of daze, Arina reached her mind toward the wings, spreading them out with a mere thought. They extended to sixteen feet from tip to tip in a stunning display of color and power.

Her mind skipped from change to change rapidly: wings-tail-eyes-ears-fangs-wings-claws-tail. Finally she just started laughing almost hysterically—yes, she had expected something of a change in appearance, especially after seeing Jaenelle in her true form, but this was something else entirely. It was truly unbelievable, how different she looked. There were the same basic traits—same skin and hair, her body shape the same, but the changes were just so huge they couldn't be overlooked.

She knelt there, staring at her new reflection, for a long time, trying to come to terms with this latest radical shift in her world view. Twinges of pain ran through her frame every few minutes, and that was the only reason that she could believe that the change had truly happened, and wasn't just a dream.

Finally, Arina roused herself out of her trance. There was no way of knowing how much time had passed while she had lingered, dreaming and staring at her reflection. Arina pushed herself back to her feet with a painful groan. She had been kneeling for so long that her legs had stiffened up alarmingly. Straightening up sent flashes of white hot pain down her spine as her legs burned. With a slight moan, Arina realized that her legs had elongated. They were still human—with feet, not claws or hooves—but unnaturally long. Her moan turned into a resigned sigh. It looked like it was only about an extra six inches, so not as bad as it could be. And she knew that she was still going to be shorter than Lucien and a majority of the other boys. It was amazing, how tall all the boys were. Then she had only been about 5'2", so she was hardly a giant.

Looking around the cliff, Arina began to wonder for the first time how to leave and get back to the Realms. Going up would only take her deeper into the Abyss, and below her the Webs extended across the Darkness. But she didn't wear the Black yet, so how could she cross the darker webs when she only wore the Red? Twisting in place so that she faced the edge nonetheless, she forced herself to think logically. How had she gotten here, to the cliff top waterrise, if she didn't go through the webs in the first place? She had after all risen to reach her current position, so she had to have come from below. Therefore, logically she must be able to pass through the darker Webs to get back to the Realms.

A feeling of mounting anxiety was coming over her, making her twitchy. Arina couldn't shake the feeling that she needed to get back to the Realms as soon as she could, though she didn't know why. It was nothing more than a chill running down her back, the "someone walking over my grave" feeling. Grimly, Arina approached the cliff edge, somewhat nervous. Still, she had gotten here, so she had to be able to leave somehow, and this was her best bet.

Witch leapt lightly off the cliff, hair flying and eyes closed as she plummeted downward. Her wings snapped open instinctively, catching air and slowing her descent to a glide. Arina opened her eyes, looking down as she swept down toward the Black Web spread out below her. Tilting her body slightly to the side, Arina began to spiral in an enormous circle.

Going through the Black Web was like dropping through a sheet of icy water. Shuddering violently, Arina pulled her wings closed in response. Immediately, she plummeted through the Ebon-grey and Gray Webs, both of them seeming to be even colder than the last.

Finally she hit the Red Web. Arina's world shivered around her, and inverted yet again as she stopped in place. Without warning, the Red, Grey, Ebon-grey and Black Webs extended below her. Above her head, the Sapphire Web glittered brightly with the other Webs visible through the openings. Arina groaned in realization that she hadn't needed to go through the icy baths. She could have simply willed herself to the Red Web, or even back to the realms. Oh, well. She'd get the hang of it eventually, she was sure. But for now, icy chill or not, she was just glad that the darker Webs hadn't hurt her.

But now, it was simply as if she had descended down to her Web in order to gather all her power for a particular spell. She rose upwards out of the Abyss, no longer needing her wings, eager to return to her body.

She came back to awareness with soft silk around her, and a warm heaviness above her, resting on her. Arina stayed still, blinking her eyes open slowly. A shadowy ceiling arched high overhead, gleaming a pale white in the scant light. Fighting off a bewildering exhaustion, the Queen turned her head to find Lucien slumped over in a chair, sitting right next to the huge and utterly unfamiliar bed that Arina was laying in, fast asleep. Still, his hand was resting on the quilt, as if he had fallen asleep while reaching for her.

Turning her head in the other direction, Arina tried to redirect her attention away from the gorgeous male. There was a bookshelf next to a neat desk by the wall, absolutely stuffed full of books. The desk was covered with massive piles of paper, organized into different groups of piles. Close to the bookshelf practice sticks, bladed sticks, as sword, and a few knives hung on the walls within easy reach. There were glass doors leading to a balcony as well, though she only saw them when she lifted her head straight up and looked toward the foot of the bed. A wardrobe stood against the wall behind Lucien, one door hanging half open, revealing more clothes than she had ever imagined a boy could own. She also found two separate doors—one for a bathroom, and one that would lead out of the rooms and into the rest of the Hall—because that was obviously where she had to be.

Considering the psychic scent that permeated the room, matching the males sitting next to her, it wasn't hard to guess whose room she was occupying at the moment. Arina wondered if she had been put in Lucien's room because they didn't have one ready for her, or because he insisted on it. She turned her head back to look at Lucien again. Even asleep, he looked strained and wan; his clothes were wrinkled, his hair was a mess, and he looked like he hadn't been eating very much. Judging from the light coming through the patio doors, it was late evening. A budding suspicion formed in the back of her mind.

Arina went to sit up, propping herself up on her elbows. She didn't get any further before a bolt of pain slashed through her entire body. Desperately, she bit back a scream, trying not to wake Lucien up, clamping her teeth together and letting out a long hiss instead. The girl stayed rigidly still, trying to regulate her breathing and calm her racing heart, a thin layer of sweat breaking out on her skin. When she was still, she ached in a whole-body-throbbing-ache; it was only when she moved, it appeared, that there was blinding white hot pain. Once she regained control over her body, Arina closed her eyes, took a deep preparatory breath, clenched her teeth again, and jerked herself into a fully seated position.

The pain and weight on her back almost pulled her back down.

Arina carefully turned her head—seemingly the only thing that she could move without hurting herself—and blinked at her wings. They looked darker now than they had on the cliff top, and she would have thought it was the lighting, but they also appeared to be shiny somehow. Carefully, Arina slowly touched one of the arching appendages. Her hands were now clawed, and throbbed mercilessly as she moved her arms, but she persisted. The Queen began to understand what had happened to her when she brought her now damp and back in front of her. Her wings were wet, she realized, which was making them heavier and causing part of her problem. Feathers tended to absorb moisture if thoroughly soaked, and hers were definitely soaked, and they locked the moisture in. But she then she really looked at the water on her hand and realized that it was tinged with red. A chill ran down the girl's spine as she considered just how bloody her wings would have had to be to still have blood on them after the kind of washing they must have gone through. Now she really understood what had happened—while she had been having twinges and flashes of pain down in the Abyss as the changes occurred, her body, still in the Realms, had also been shifting. The changes had come from inside her, the deepest part of Arina's being, and in order to get out, they had to break through the skin. It must have been excruciatingly painful, if what she was feeling now as any indication. And very, very bloody.

She sighed and looked over at the balcony doors again. It was dark, so either late evening or nighttime, but was it still _Saturday_ night? Or as she had begun to suspect, Sunday night—or later? There was really only one way to find out.

"Lucien?" she asked gently, her voice scratchy and horse from over use. Her eyes widened in shock. Had she been screaming?

The male jerked awake with a gasp, lurching forward instinctively. "Arina," he rasped, reaching for her arms. "You're up. What are you doing? You need to rest," he scanned her frame anxiously as he babbled, relaxing slightly when it seemed like she was fully intact. "Are you alright?" he managed.

She gave him a tense smile, her new teeth peeking through. "I'm fine as long as I don't move, though I ache pretty badly. What happened?"

Lucien hesitated. "I'm not exactly sure what happened," he admitted. "My mom does, I think, because she is Witch and a Healer and she saw everything that happened." He paused again. "I only know that it scared me to death," he whispered, eyes tight. The Warlord Prince took a deep breath and smiled at Arina, trying to erase all signs of worry from his face to reassure her. She gave him a skeptical look in response, and Lucien managed a shaky laugh.

Lucien glanced out the doors as well to check the light, and then called in a watch. "It's about eight," he told Arina. "Everyone is likely done eating but still hanging around. Do you want to go downstairs and ask mom your questions?" he asked. "And eat, of course." he added.

Arina couldn't quite hold back a grimace. The thought of getting up an moving even a little bit made her want to scream. But at the same time, she really needed to talk to Jaenelle and figure out the details of what happened. She hesitated, and bit her lip slightly in an instinctive worrying gesture. She stopped quickly when she accidentally bit through her lip, having forgotten about her new, very sharp, teeth.

"I can carry you," Lucien offered. Arina hesitated for another moment, but really couldn't see another way around it. Stubbornly ignoring the sly whisper in the back of her mind that said _Oh yes, please_, she nodded and reached out her arms to him nervously. Smiling somewhat triumphantly, Lucien leaned forward and slipped his arms underneath her after folding back the heavy quilt. Arina wrapped her arms around Lucien's neck, squeezing her eyes shut from the pain flashing down her back as her legs folded down and hung limply as her resting place disappeared. She hissed out a breath, holding onto a rigid control. Lucien muttered an apology but didn't stop moving, knowing that delays wouldn't help her at all.

"'S ok," she mumbled, resting her head on Lucien's chest as he walked down the stairs. She told herself that she did it because it lent her more stability of position, not because it felt good. Lucien couldn't help but feel intensely happy and hopeful at the gesture that proved Arina's trust in him.

Lucien paused at the door of the drawing room where Jaenelle's circle had gathered. "Hey mom," he said, coughing slightly first to get their attention. Everyone in the room turned to face the pair in the doorway, several of the women fighting down smiles at their appearance. Jaenelle, Karla and Gabrielle immediately got up and came over to the door, somewhat concerned with Arina's tight expression. "Arina wants to know what happened," he explained, ignoring the mutter of "Arina can speak for herself," from the girl in his arms.

"Ah," Jaenelle said.

"Where is everyone?" Arina asked, turning her head to face Jaenelle while still leaning against Lucien's chest. "All my people, that is?"

"All the children are up in the rumpus room," Gabrielle told her, smiling brilliantly. "We want to check on your condition before you go and see them, though. Put her down on the couch," she directed Lucien. Karla glared Daemon off the couch, and Jaenelle's husband got up, rolling his eyes, and leaned against the wall.

"We have a rumpus room?" Arina asked, eyebrows raised.

"Well, that's what Papa called it, based on what he heard from the room while we were growing up," Jaenelle explained as she motioned to all the women in the room, smirking. Everyone laughed.

Lucien gently set Arina down on the couch, moving as slowly as possible so that he didn't jostle her too much. She still made a quiet sound of pain though, and he winced. "Sorry," he muttered again. She smiled gently at him and reached out to take his hand as he perched on the arm of the couch beside her. He covered her hand with both of his, relaxing a little bit.

The three healers fussed over Arina, speaking softly to each other as Arina drifted in and out of focus. Eventually, Gabrielle left for a minute and came back with a healing brew to drink, and the three of them seemed to be done with their poking and prodding for the moment. The worried expression's on their faces had lessened somewhat, to everyone's relief.

"What's the verdict?" Arina asked after she was propped up against the back of the couch and sipping at the honey-sweetened brew. Daemon and Chaosti had helped her spread her wings over the couch to dry—more accurately, they pulled them open as gently as they could when she couldn't move them very far voluntarily—and also because she wasn't sure how she was going to sit with them folded yet. Her hands were still shaking slightly from the pain, but the drink was doing a good job at numbing the pain to a more manageable level.

"You are going to hurt for a few weeks," Karla said seriously. "But by the end of this week it should be more manageable. By then, the actual damage done by your change will be mostly healed. It will still be fragile, and sore, but not as bad."

"After that, it will mostly be muscle pain," Gabrielle said, taking over the explaination. Both Arina and Lucien were listening intently. "The drastic changes in your body mass and shape has created entirely new muscles as well as causing major alterations in existing muscles. Either way, you need to learn how to use them and build them up in order to regain free movement and get rid of most of the pain."

Arina nodded in resignation. "I know. And getting them into shape will hurt. But as long as it doesn't make me start screaming in pain just by sitting up, I can deal with it."

Lucivar chuckled. "That's the spirit," he encouraged. "It probably won't be as bad as they are making out. Jaenelle completely rebuilt my wings when I was seventeen, and I was flying again a month later."

"Yeah, you're going to have to teach me how to fly and help figure out how my wings work. I'm not sure how different they are from yours," Arina told him bluntly, "But you are the only one with wings—and enough experience to actually help," she added. "Daemonar and Andulvar wouldn't be as useful as you."

"I aim to please," Lucivar teased. Marian grinned next to him. "You're going to love flying," the hearth witch told her. "It's exhilarating."

Arina smiled back at her, returning the enthusiasm, before turning back to Jaenelle. "What happened to me?" She asked. "I mean, I know my body changed physically, causing great pain and damage while I was in the Abyss. I felt twinges of pain, little aches while I was there, but what happened _here_ while I was _there_? How did the change happen?"

Jaenelle sat down in an open armchair and looked at Arina thoughtfully before speaking. "After you left the Misty Place, I returned to my body to keep an eye on you," she began. "I wasn't quite sure what to expect, so I wanted to make sure I was on hand and ready for you to wake up. About half an hour later, you started shaking. I pushed you down so that you were laying on the bed, worried that you would fall and hurt yourself if you were still sitting. The strangest part was, despite the way you were shaking, your face was perfectly calm. I realized that you're mind had completely abandoned your body, and that you were completely unaware of what was happening." Arina's eyes widened as she heard that. Suddenly the ice baths made more sense in that it was her mind reconnecting to a damaged body. She refocused on what Jaenelle was saying. "Your eyes were closed, so it took me a few moments to realize that you were weeping blood. After that, it was only a couple of minutes before you started choking as your teeth began to change and your mouth filled with blood as well." Jaenelle sighed, running a hand through her hair distractedly. Daemon moved to settle on the chair beside her, and wrapped an arm around his wife. She took a deep breath before continuing. "I panicked. Whatever I had been expecting, it wasn't that. I screamed for Karla—"

"Scaring years off of my life in the process, and terrifying the girls," the Glacian Queen inserted.

"—and called for Gabrielle to ready the healing room. By the time Karla joined us, your head had begun to bleed as your ears changed. Through it all, you appeared to be perfectly calm, despite the shaking of your body and the blood loss. It was when your hands began to shift, an the claws emerged that you started making any noise at all. Even then, it was very quiet. We thought that we had stabilized you when nothing else seemed to happen, even though you were getting louder. We figured out later that it was your legs that changed in that period. It seemed like you had stabilized when nothing else appeared to change. We were almost to the Hall by this point, and we relaxed." Jaenelle paused again.

"Everyone was waiting outside for you to arrive." Gabrielle took over again. "After I got the message from Jaenelle and Karla, we were all on edge, so when the carriage appeared, we all sort of froze. Naturally, that was when you started screaming. Because you hadn't been screaming before that, even Jaenelle and Karla froze in surprise. Then Lucien, Daemonar and Farostel all rushed forward and picked you up. Daemonar was the one who realized that you were growing wings—though Lucien almost killed him when he vanished shirt, before he realized what was happening to you." Arina shot a glance at Lucien, who just shrugged sheepishly. "That all happened on Saturday night."

"What day is it now?" Arina asked, apprehensive.

"Right now, it is Monday night."

Arina blinked in shock, opened her mouth, and closed it again.

"The entire transformation took about twenty four hours to complete, so it was Sunday evening before you stopped screaming," Jaenelle said.

"Oh," Arina murmured. She looked down at her hands. She couldn't even imagine it—there was no way that it could have taken so long, or at least, that's what she had thought.

"And then you sank into a deep healing sleep until just now," Karla finished the telling. "That's pretty much everything that happened, in a nutshell. We have activated healing webs while you were sleeping, and will continue to do so every night while you sleep, until your body is less fragile. That will help the most in your healing," she added.

Arina nodded slowly as she processed the information. A quiet knock interrupted her thoughts, and she looked up in surprise. Beale, the Butler of the Hall came in carrying a tray covered with food, which he set down in front of Arina before leaving silently. The smell of the food was enough to wake up her stomach, which promptly growled—alarmingly loudly. Arina blushed as the adults smiled and laughed quietly.

Grimacing, Arina reached for the fork, ignoring the burning in her fingers. She picked up the utensil clumsily, moving it slowly to the correct position.

"Do you need help?" Lucien asked.

"With my fork? No, I can feed myself," she snapped. "But I won't be able to eat all of this alone, so you can help me clear the plate," she added more gently.

Lucien made a faint sound of disbelief, but went to sit closer to her anyway. She was proud enough to want and ask for no help, but considering the look on her face now, she would need help pretty soon, wither she wanted it or not. Lucien smirked slightly as he noticed that there was only one of each utensil. Someone had planned this.

Arina started eating pasta determinedly. Lucien leaned forward to avoid bumping into Arina's wings, resting his elbows on his knees. He found that it was an uncomfortable posture for him to hold for very long, though, so he slid to the floor and leaned against the couch instead. The adults in the room made excuses and cleared out, leaving the two teens alone in the room.

It didn't take Arina long to drop the fork with a sigh. "I'm sorry," she muttered. "That seems to be all we are saying to each other lately," she added under her breath.

Lucien didn't respond immediately, instead reaching for the fork and eating a bite of the pasta. He made an appreciative sound before he said "I've done the same exact thing, when I've had big healings and needed help afterwards. I don't like asking for help." He smiled wryly at her. "So it's a perfectly reasonable reaction."

Arina smiled slightly. Lucien fed her a bite of pasta, grinning widely. "Watch it, boyo," she snapped, paring her sharpened teeth in a savage smile. "Behave. Don't make me bite you."

"Yes ma'am."

Despite the embarrassment of having to be fed and being completely incapable of taking care of herself, it didn't take long for the pair of teens to clear the tray off and wish for more. Lucien did behave himself, understanding Arina's frustration at her own helplessness. She enjoyed the quiet peace in the room as they ate, neither speaking.

"Are you alright?" she asked once they were finished, looking down at Lucien worriedly. "I was unconscious for everything that happened, but you weren't. It must have been really hard for you," she added, her voice dropping. Lucien turned and buried his face in her nightgown with a slight shiver. She laid one of her hands on his head very gently, mindful of her claws.

"Yes. No. I just…I was so scared," he whispered. "If you had died during the transformation, if I lost you then, already…" the boy trailed off, shaking his head.

"Was there really danger of me dying?" Arina asked, surprised.

"I've never seen my mother so concerned," Lucien said simply. "It was a very real possibility."

"I'm sorry," she said again.

"You are still alive," Lucien said, pulling back slightly to look at her, and she slid her hand down to his cheek. "And the situation wasn't anything you could control, help, or avoid, so I'm not angry at you or anything."

"That's good," she said, smiling. "I don't want you angry at me. Now, I need to find the rest of the circle, and say hello to the rest of the boys. I'm sure that they've been worried, too."

Lucien groaned. "Do we have to?" he muttered, dropping his head back onto her legs gently, his voice plaintive. He really didn't want to leave this room, and under no circumstances did he want to share Arina with others, especially the other Warlord Princes. They might be his friends, but he didn't like them enough to share.

"Yes, we must," Arina said tartly, glaring down at him. "Well, I am at least. You can just drop me off and leave though—I'm sure someone would be willing to help me back to a bed."

Lucien growled at her and reached for Arina before hesitating. He wasn't sure how to pick her up with her wings still spread out the way that they were. Noticing his hesitation, Arina leaned forward. Focusing tightly, she pulled her wings back in with a single motion, whimpering involuntarily. "This has got to get better soon," she gasped out.

Lucien picked her up, and again she curled into his chest with a sigh. "Did you change your mind?" he asked hopefully, but with no real expectations.

"_No_. Upstairs, Lucien, to the rumpus room!"

"Alright, alright. I'm going."

**AN: Wow, done! That was my favorite chapter to write, I have to say. I've been looking forward to Arina's transformation into her Dream from the very beginning. I tried to work in some quality Arina/Lucien time, so let me know how I did! I'm not all that good at writing that kind of stuff…**

**I just saw the Rise of the Guardians…and I am completely obsessed! (OK, that was random.)**

**Please review, everybody, and let me know how I did! See you all in another month!**


	12. Chapter 12

"Knock knock," Lucien called.

The nineteen teens in the large room all turned towards the door, eager eyes fastening on the pair in the entrance of the room.

"Arina!" Yaslana cried, getting up and rapidly crossing the room toward his older brother and the slender, now winged girl in his arms. Lucien growled softly, and Arina hit his chest with the heel of her hand in response to the primal sound. Yaslana paused where he was, holding perfectly still.

Lucien stared at his brother with slightly glazed eyes, trying to maintain his temper. While part of him understood that the other male wasn't a threat, a larger part was too concerned with Arina's weakness to want anyone near her. Arina heaved a long suffering sigh. "Males," she groaned. "Lucien, relax. They aren't planning to jump me, I don't think."

"Jump you?" Morton asked.

"Attack, assault, grab onto in some fashion," Arina explained as Lucien stepped slowly into the room. "Though usually someone gets jumped from behind in the middle of the night, so it technically isn't the most accurate of terms, I guess."

"I wouldn't be so sure that they won't try to grab you," Lauranna teased from one of several couches scattered around the space. "Let me tell you, the boyos weren't nearly interested in what _we_ had been up to this past month." Arina smirked at her in a silent response.

The boys hastily cleared off one of the couches, moving countless sheets of drawings onto a table in a corner so that Arina could have space. Silently, the girl wondered why they were on the couch in the first place, when the table was not that far away. Lucien gently laid her down on the seat, and she grimaced in pain despite herself. "This has got to be getting better soon," she groused. It didn't take her more than a few seconds to realize that it probably wasn't the smartest thing to say when she was surrounded by volatile, powerful males who reacted strongly to female distress. Silently she cursed herself as everyone in the room looked up and focused pn her unerringly. "I'm just a little bit sore," she backpedaled quickly. "Relax!"

They most certainly did _not_ relax, and the Queen huffed in exasperation. Yaslana watched his brother carefully as he approached Arina again. This time, Arina clamped her hand down on Lucien's wrist, and as a result, only a slight narrowing of eyes betrayed the older male's annoyance. Yaslana sank down to the floor in front of Arina's couch, and asked "Are you—alright?"

Silver eyes studied the concern on Yaslana's face, and then looked around to see everyone else. They all looked equally worried, and even frightened. Puzzled, Arina glanced back at Lucien for an explanation; he had known what had happened to her, after all.

"The Healers only let me stay with you because I was liable to destroy the Hall if I was kept away," he told her, his voice low and somewhat sheepish. "No one else was allowed in the room with you."

"Is that unusual, then?" she asked, equally quiet.

His jaw tightened. "With my mother, and Karla, and Gabrielle? Yes, that's very unusual."

"Oh." The girl turned back to Yaslana and smiled calmly. This obviously wasn't a good time to simply brush off their concerns the way that she wanted to—that would be a betrayal of the fragile trust beginning to grow in the group, and she was unwilling to do it. "I'm very sore, and I'm supposed to stay as still as possible for a week. Not," she added with a wry smile, "That it's going to be much of a problem for me, because when I do move, that's when I really start to hurt. Right now, my body is apparently trying to stabilize the changes to my frame—Jaenelle said that it should only be about a week or so before it doesn't hurt to move anymore. But even after that, I'll still be weak for quite a while because so many of my muscles changed shape, and I lost all the strength that I had, and I need to completely start over and build them up from scratch." Arina shrugged at the group. "That's it. Honestly."

Yaslana studied her face, and relaxed at whatever he saw in her eyes. "You were screaming so much, though," he protested after a moment's pause.

"Lucien mentioned that," Arina agreed. "But I don't remember that, nor did I really feel anything to the extent that could have made me scream. Where I was, I barely felt twinges of pain. It was really like I stubbed my toe or something," she reassured.

The room seemed to breath a collective sigh of relief, and a soft chatter started up between several of the girls on the other side of the room, carrying on whatever conversation that they had been holding before Arina and Lucien arrived.

"And now that that's out of the way, I want to know what all you boys have been up to while I had my crash course in Craft and Culture," Arina decided as she struggled to sit up so that she wasn't laying down. Sighing, she accepted both Lucien and Yaslana's hands as they tugged her upright. "And why is this room called the "Rumpus room"?" she added.

Yaslana burst out laughing as he headed towards a group of chairs and started pulling them closer to her position.

"Well as to that, there really isn't any single Rumpus _room_, so much," Andulvar told her, grinning widely. "It would be more accurate to say that there is a Rumpus _Wing_."

"All of the rooms down this hall would be classified as Rumpus Rooms," Jasper elaborated. "But we do different things in each of the rooms, which means that each one has its own specific name. For instance, this is the Rumpus Gathering Room, where we just hang out when we aren't doing anything specific."

"We also have the Rumpus Mural Room, where we paint the walls over and over, the Rumpus Dancing Room, the Music Room, the Craft Room, and so on," Morton said, waving a hand lazily.

"Our parents have just gotten too lazy to keep track of all the specific rooms, so they just started to say that we were in "the Rumpus room" whenever we are up in the wing," Jonathan finished.

"But why is it called the Rumpus Wing? Why not leave the "Rumpus" off?"

"That was what Grandpa Saetan called it when Aunt Jaenelle was growing up, based on what he had heard from below the room," Lillian put in with a wicked grin. "So I guess it's just tradition, really."

"Huh. Well, alright then. Tradition is always good," Arina said brightly.

"As for what we've been doing for the past month…" Jonathan shrugged ruefully. "Well, not much good, I'm afraid."

"We've been moping, whining, complaining, fighting each other, and generally making a nuisance of ourselves," Leon laughed. "It's been remarkably boring with all of you girls totally out of contact for a month. I never realized just how much you are the ones who think of what to do."

"We wrote!" Emerald protested, glaring at her brother.

"Once," Morton shot at her.

"Twice!" most of the girls chorused, indignant.

"Are you really going to try and pull that?" Yaslana demanded. "Two letters, and we only got the second ones right before you all got her in person, so they don't even count."

"They so too count," Rose growled.

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Children! I feel like I'm back teaching bratty five year olds how to ride and they both think they get a certain horse!" Arina cried. "That is not a good thing! Be _quiet_!" Both Rose and Yaslana flushed, looking away from each other pointedly. Around the room, the rest of the group snickered helplessly, and Arina glowered between the two teens in question before looking over the room in general. "Why am I getting the distinct feeling that they are twins?" she demanded.

"Because they are," Lucien drawled.

She looked at him sympathetically. "I feel for you," she said solemnly. His lips twitched slightly, and everyone else laughed. She turned back to the rest of the room. "We won't be going on such an extended trip again, however, so it doesn't matter how many letters we did or did not send. As for the low count—well, we were very busy, unlike you who have already admitted to doing nothing. Very busy," she repeated. "We didn't have enough time to write any more than we did, in all reality."

"Unlike you lot, we've been actually having lessons every day—though Arina had more than us, to be sure," Titian said loftily. Arina noted that she failed to mention the shopping trip, and the fact that they did have most afternoons off.

Jasper opened his mouth to retort to his sister, but caught the decidedly homicidal glint in Arina's eye and closed it again. While she might not have been able to kill him, Lucien certainly could, and would if Arina wanted. She smiled sweetly at him. "So you all just lazed around and caused trouble, that's what you're saying?" Arina asked, tilting her head to the side so that she could see both Lucien and the rest of the room.

"Nah, Dad would never let us do that," Daemonar said, sprawled out on another couch with Rose sitting comfortably on his stomach. Arina raised an eyebrow and started to smile at the sight. Rose winked at her. "So we trained every morning, and then we just wandered around the Keep, the Hall, Riada, and Halaway—the town by the Hall," the Eyrien continued, not noticing the exchange. "We did…stuff."

"We wasted time and everything," Dmitri muttered.

"You must have had some fun while we were gone," Arina frowned. "Despite what you are saying about being so terribly depressed, it couldn't have been that bad." Gingerly, she leaned back until she was propped against the back of the couch instead of sitting so rigidly upright. It hurt a little bit to put her tender back against a rough surface, but her silk nightgown alleviated that pain, and the relaxing of her muscles as she released that pressure was enough of a relief that it didn't matter that it hurt. She started to relax, unloosening and beginning to feel tired again.

"Wait, where are you going?" Arina demanded as the other girls all started getting to their feet and drifting towards the door. The girl struggled back up to support herself, and leaning forward in a panic.

"We've already caught up with the boys," Astira said. "And now that we know that you are alright, we are going to leave so you can catch up with them yourself, without us around to bug you."

Arina thought about being on her own, injured and unable to move or defend herself, surrounded by overbearing males, and felt her breathing hitch and speed up in response. Closing her eyes, Arina forced herself to take a deep breath, slowly calming herself down. She could handle this—she was strong enough. They weren't going to bite her, or attack her. She wasn't in danger.

Lucien's hand brushed against her shoulder lightly, hesitantly. Her hand went up automatically to catch it, holding his hand to her shoulder without conscious thought. It was surprising to realize how safe she felt in his presence, how reassuring it was to have him behind her. He squeezed gently, and she rallied.

"Have fun," Arina managed, sinking back down into the cushions again. Rose smiled, triumphant, and gave Arina a quick reassuring hug before gliding out the door. Within moments, all the other girls had left, leaving Arina with ten boys. She took another breath, reminding herself to be calm.

"You had to have done something fun," she repeated.

"We went swimming a lot, and rode some," Leon told her, sitting down on a chair that he had brought over to her, copying Yaslana.

"Actually, our parents sent us back to our various homes after the first week, and only let us come back to the Hall to wait three days before you got back," Dmitri said. "Having the lot of us here was causing trouble, so our elders decided to split us up and minimize the damage, spread it out."

"And we did in fact go home and terrorize our various Territories," Farostel admitted. "I'm pretty sure that most of us indulged in violent activities while we worried and wondered. I hunted, though I didn't really catch much."

"We really didn't do anything productive in the past month," Yaslana sighed. "Eventually Mom and Dad gave up on our lessons when we weren't paying any attention. They just kicked us out of the Hall every morning."

"Same with me," Jonathon said to general agreement. "So while you were getting ahead in all of your lessons, we started falling behind in ours. Which is bad, because we finish our lessons before you do. Males go until eighteen, females until twenty."

"How did your actual lessons go?" Jasper asked.

"Well, they went." Arina shrugged stiffly. "They wasn't as hard as I thought they were going to be, surprisingly. I knew the information from Lorn, I just wasn't able to access all the knowledge he gave me at once, because having so much suddenly in my mind would have caused damage. But when my lessons started, it was like my teachers were just reminding me of what I already knew, and everything sort of just "came back" to me." She smiled. "I still need more lessons to refine what I know and learn more, because I know that there is still a lot that I don't know, but I won't need as many lessons as I should when starting from scratch."

"That's great!" Morton exclaimed.

"Why do I only take lessons until I'm twenty?" Arina asked, remembering what Jonathon had said.

"Because that's when Queens make the Offering to the Darkness and form their courts," Lucien told her, shifting slightly.

"Err—how old are you, actually? You look about seventeen, but we never asked," Daemonar blurted out, blushing. Lucien stiffened, and everyone looked curious.

Arina stared at him. "I am seventeen," she said at last. "My birthday is August 13th. I'm a Leo," she added.

"What's a Leo?" Farostel asked her, claiming the other arm of her couch. Lucien glowered at him briefly, but the Dea al Mon ignored the other male, focusing instead on the Queen.

"Leo is one of twelve zodiac signs, or astrological symbols. The signs are based on a person's birthday—for instance, Leo runs from about July 23 to August 22. Anyone who has a birthday within those dates would be considered a Leo. The signs supposedly say something about personality types, and there are even these things called 'horoscopes' which supposedly tell that is going to happen to you. They're really vague, though, so of course you could "Find a meaningful relationship in the next year." Honestly, those are supposed to actually tell you what is going to happen?" Arina smirked, finishing her rant. The boys looked either amused or confused, unsurprisingly. "It's nothing real, just a joke really, but I did a school project on the zodiacs, so I know quite a bit about them."

"And what does being a Leo say about your personality?" Dmitri asked.

"Leo's are charismatic leaders, and they seek adventures. They like to be in the middle of everything, take charge kind of people. Leo's are noted for personal pride. Fire is the element associated with Leo, and they are ruled by the Sun. The animal symbol of Leo is the lion," Arina recited primly.

There was a thoughtful pause as the boys absorbed this. "Makes sense, seeing as you are the Queen," Morton acknowledged after a moment.

"But I had never been a leader of any kind before coming here to the Realms," she countered. "I was always more of a doormat back on Earth."

"You were charismatic, though," Yaslana said. "When Mom wove her Web to find you, there were people coming to find you for all sorts of things."

Arina raised an eyebrow at the male. "Yes, because they paid me to do their work, do their homework, or get around the rules, or other things. I was a doormat, who didn't know how to say no to people. Make no mistake, I was no charismatic leader." She snorted in amusement.

"At least you've come into yourself now," Farostel said reasonably. Arina smiled reluctantly at him, pleased despite herself at the reassurance. Arina yawned and let her head fall back against the couch. A buzz of concern brushed over her, created by the collective psychic fear of the teens, before Lucien reassured the others.

"Mom says that she will be sleeping a lot for the next week while she recovers. Her body needs the rest to heal properly. It's only to be expected, after all."

"I'm like a big, pretty baby," Arina drawled, closing her eyes tiredly. 'It's naptime, now."

Lucien laughed, and ran his fingers through her hair gently. Arina rolled her head over toward his hand obligingly, sighing in pleasure as he combed through her tresses. The rest of the room looked away for a moment, feeling like it was a private moment that they shouldn't interrupt.

Lucien shifted so that he was sitting on the seat of the couch next to Arina, and she dropped her head onto his shoulder with a soft sigh, curling her body towards his.

"Arina, lay down. It will be more comfortable for you to sleep that way," the Warlord Prince coaxed. The Queen growled at him without moving in response.

On the other end of the couch, Farostel chuckled and used Craft to float Arina up without warning. Arina yelped in shock, lifting her head up sharply to glare at him.

"Relax," Farostel laughed, carefully setting her down very gently so that she was laying down on her stomach. Her wings spread out somewhat, one draped over the back of the couch and the other one spread out on the floor, between Yaslana and Leon's chairs. Her head was cradled in Lucien's lap, and Farostel moved off the arm of the couch onto the seat and laid her legs over his lap.

She lifted her head lazily and twisted to see him. "If you tickle my feet," she warned, "I will kill you slowly and painfully. And I will enjoy it."

"Understood," Farostel replied demurely, to general amusement. Now was not a good time to remind her that threats like that shouldn't be made seriously, according to the rules of the court. Not while she was injured and had her feet so close to his groin.

Lucien resumed stroking her hair in order to distract her, and within moments the girl was literally purring. Lucien, Yaslana, Leon and Farostel were the only ones near enough to hear it, and they all made a mental note to be far away when Arina finally met Kaelas and the other Arcerians. They would probably get along like a house on fire, and it would either go really well, or really badly.

The room went quiet. Morton and Jonathon began setting up a game of chess, Leon drifting over to join them and play the winner. Yaslana called in a book and a large pillow, setting himself down beside the couch. Arina let her arm fall down to rest on him after a moment, and he hummed slightly. Everyone in the room was beginning quiet activities or drifting off to sleep themselves so that they wouldn't disturb Arina as she fell asleep.

A few hours later Arina stirred and lifted her head up, looking around the room blearily.

Dmitri and Jonathon had fallen asleep on the couch closest to the door, feet tangled in the middle as they were both on opposite ends. Yaslana was sleeping on the floor right in front of her, slumped against the couch with his legs stretched out. Morton and Leon were collapsed in chairs in the middle of the room, a chess game half played between them.

Daemonar was spread out over a whole couch, snoring softly with a hunting knife clenched in one hand. His younger brother Andulvar was curled up in a ball on another couch.

That left Lucien and Farostel. Turning her head, Arina found herself staring at Lucien's chest from where she was laying on him while he slept. Turning her head had triggered a tugging sensation, and she realized that his fingers were tangled in her hair. Turning her head more carefully this time, she looked toward the other end of the couch and her feet, meeting Farostel's pale blue eyes. He was the only male awake, and Arina had the shrewd suspicion that he had been watching her sleep. The Queen shrugged mentally, recognizing that there were some things about her boys that she would never be able to change.

"Is it morning?" she rasped questioningly, whispering.

Farostel shook his head and replied in a voice that was equally quiet. "You've only been asleep for two hours or so. It's almost eleven at night. How are you feeling?" he added.

Arina yawned as she mentally felt her way down her body. "Sore, and hungry. Very hungry," she decided. "Feed me."

The male chuckled. "Do you want me to take you down to the kitchens to get something to eat, or have me call and have something sent up?" he asked her.

"Whatever is faster," she muttered decidedly. She slowly reached up and began to thread her hair out of Lucien's fingers.

"I'll take you down to the kitchen so you can chose whatever you want," Farostel decided quietly. "And that way, we won't have to worry about waking anyone else up, either," he added. Lifting her feet up, he shifted around to get out from under them and moved to stand in front of her. Once she had separated her hair from Lucien's fingers, Farostel picked her up bridal style and threaded through the sleeping males toward the door silently.

The lamps in the halls had all been turned off, leaving them to move through a pitch black space. Arina wrapped her arms around Farostel's neck when he started down the stairs and closed her eyes. She seemed to have perfect night vision, and she just didn't want to see what might happen. Their clothes rustled and made the only noise as they walked, adding to the creepy factor, in Arina's opinion.

In order to distract herself, Arina started humming "I am iron man" under her breath as they went, causing Farostel to raise an eyebrow inquisitively. Soon enough Farostel stopped in the door of a large, brightly lit kitchen. Arina squinted for a moment as her eyes adjusted before spotting the large woman that was moving around inside the room, putting plates on the large counter in the middle of the space.

Farostel cleared his throat nervously, and Arina gave him an astonished look. He made a face at her quickly before saying, "Thank you, Mrs. Beale."

The woman turned around and Arina blinked slowly at the stern looking older woman. Her eyes drifted down to the meat cleaver the woman was carrying and stayed there. Suddenly, she wasn't so sure about this late night snack plan. Her grip on Farostel's neck tightened painfully, but he gave no indication of pain.

"So, this is the young Lady," the cook boomed, giving Arina a measuring look. She made a small sound at the back of her throat, still watching the knife in horrified fascination. She looked up to meet the woman's eyes with an effort.

"Hello," Arina greeted. "It's very nice to meet you." Her eyes slid over the knife again before settling on the plates, and her stomach growled. "Will you please feed me now, before I start eating people?" she added sweetly, smiling widely and showing fangs. To her vast disappointment, the woman only blinked, but she did put the knife down as she turned to get another plate, her face softening.

"Come sit down," Mrs. Beale directed, pointing to a stool in front of the counter. Farostel carried her in and set her down after calling in a cushion for the stool. Arina rolled her eyes fondly. Then the male leaned against the counter and watched in amazement as Arina, a slender and compact girl who looked like a strong wind could blow her over at the moment, devoured in short order a roast, part of a chicken, an apple pie, eleven brownies, a bowl of beef stew, and half a lasagna.

"Wow," he managed, shaking his head. Even Mrs. Beale looked a bit taken aback, though definitely pleased.

Pushing away the plate with the remnants of the lasagna, Arina put a hand on her stomach and smiled in relief. "Thank you so much for doing this for me, Mrs. Beale," she said. "I really appreciate it, considering the time."

"Not at all," the cook declared. "Lady Angelline warned me that you would be needing quite a lot of food in the next week. Though I wasn't expecting that," she muttered, taking the plate to a sink. "I'll bake extra just for you tomorrow," she concluded. "Now you should be sleeping, young Lady. Off to bed with you, out!" she added, waving her meat cleaver at Arina, who just blinked. She was too full and satisfied to be worried about the knife—besides, Mrs. Beale was a nice woman.

"Call me Arina," the girl insisted. Mrs. Beale waved a hand in acknowledgement as she hustled Farostel over to the door once he had scooped Arina up. Leaving the kitchen behind, Arina wished that she could walk on her own. Being carried all the time was going to get really annoying really fast.

Farostel was carrying her up the last flight of stairs back to the Gathering room when a blast of fear hit her.

*Arina!* Lucien's shout echoed through her mind.

*What is it?* she demanded, jerking forward in Farostel's arms. His grip tightened on her as his predatory nature rose up swiftly in response to her agitation. She put a hand on his chest to still him as she focused on Lucien. *What's the matter?* she repeated.

*Where are you?* there was an edge of fear and fury in his psychic voice, and Arina automatically sent a soothing wave back at him. She had to pause for a moment and take a deep breath so that she wouldn't respond with the irritation she was beginning to feel as she realized why he was so upset though.

*Farostel is taking me back upstairs,* she sent. *We had gone down to the kitchen because I was hungry enough to eat a horse, and we didn't want to wake anyone up.* Arina sighed and turned to Farostel.

"Better get moving," she said dryly. "Lucien is awake and very unhappy."

The Dea al Mon male gave her a wry look that said _you __**think**_? He leaped up the remaining stairs and stalked down the hall grimly. At the end, the Gathering room door slammed open and Lucien filled up the entrance, eyes glazed and fixed on Farostel. Behind him in the room, there were crashes and curses as the other boys were woken up by the crash of the door or the biting chill emitting from the furious Black Jeweled Warlord Prince. Arina groaned.

Farostel stopped a good five feet away from Lucien, wary of getting any closer. Ice fanned out toward Farostel from Lucien's feet, and in the room all noise stopped. No one was willing to risk moving and drawing attention to themselves. Both Warlord Princes rose to the killing edge as they stared at each other.

"Lucien," Arina said firmly. There was no reaction from the golden-eyed male, but a snarl built in Farostel's chest in response to Lucien's lethal stillness. Arina growled. "_Prince_," she repeated. This time when she spoke, there was a double timber to her voice—an echo that was both a low growl-purr and a high pitched cry—like a bird of prey. Farostel and Lucien both blinked and turned their attention on her, along with Daemonar and Yaslana, who were the only ones willing to get near enough to Lucien in this state to see around him through the door. "I was in no danger," she continued in the same voice. "And no one has contested your claims. Pax," she said forcefully, the Latin coming automatically. "_Enough_."

"I would have gotten you something to eat," Lucien said eventually, voice tight and a little pained as he descended from the killing edge. Still, the chill in the air faded, and the ice retreated, vanishing quickly as the hallway heated up again.

Arina pressed a hand to Farostel's chest, claws coming out and pricking through his shirt lightly. It was a silent command to calm down and step back, and he subsided, slipping away from the killing edge after a moment. Satisfied, she turned back to Lucien, her face more gentle. "You were asleep. I didn't want to wake you up, especially because I know that you were awake for the two days or so that I was unconscious. You needed the sleep—it was nothing personal, Lucien."

Lucien sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking away.

"You still need the sleep," Arina said critically. She looked hard at him, taking in the bags under his eyes and the set of his shoulders. Abruptly, she yawned. "So do I," she admitted.

Lucien looked up and was standing right in front of Farostel in a heartbeat. He jerked back slightly in an automatic response, before reluctantly handing Arina over to the other male. Arina reached up and kissed him on the cheek quickly. "Thanks for getting me some food," she told him with a smile. Farostel smiled back, and Lucien wasted no time in walking off down the hallway in a snit. Arina waved over his shoulder and called "good night!" to all the other boys, who enthusiastically waved back before heading off to their own beds. Lucien didn't relax until they turned the corner and cut off from all the others.

"Do I have a room here?" Arina asked him, leaning against his chest.

"Of course," Lucien said in surprise. Then, understanding, he said, "But when you were injured, they brought you into my room because it was closer, and by the time the Healing was finished, Mom said that you shouldn't be moved at all until you woke up."

Arina nodded thoughtfully. "I see. Where is my room, then?"

"You have the Queen's room in an empty wing. The Aunts have spent the last month setting up the garden in the central courtyard," he told her. "That's where you will be able to stay when you visit, with rooms around you for your court if they came with you."

"The Queen's room—the master bedroom?" she checked.

"If you mean the largest and best, then yes."

Arina considered the lessons that she had received from Karla and Jaenelle about being a Queen, and the things that she had been taught by Lorn. "Does it have an adjourning Consort's room?" she asked slyly.

Lucien faltered for a heartbeat. "Yes."

"And is it empty?"

Lucien opened the door that they had come to with Craft to avoid answering, crossed the room and placed her gently on the bed. Seeing the bags sitting against the far wall, Arina floated one over to her and pulled out a tiny silk nightgown. Lucien swallowed. Giggling, Arina ducked under the covers, vanished her clothes and carefully used Craft to put on the nightgown before coming back out. Lucien swallowed again, turning away quickly.

"Well?" she prompted.

"Um…" the Warlord Prince seemed to struggle for words, something that he was obviously unaccustomed to doing. "Yes, of course. It will remain empty until such a time that you choose a Consort." His eyes flickered to a door to the left of her bed. Clearing his throat somewhat desperately, Lucien turned towards the door. "I'll just go then," he mumbled.

"Wait," Arina called, sitting back up and pulling the sheets around her. Black silk—very nice. She felt kind of bad for teasing him, realizing that it wasn't a joke to him. "Wait," she repeated, and Lucien paused and turned back to face her. She beckoned him towards her, simultaneously saying "Come here a minute. No, sit down. I have something for you. I got it at the market, before we headed here. Karla and Jaenelle took us out shopping," she rambled as Lucien sat down on the edge of the bed and gave her a curious, hopeful look.

"You bought me a present?" he asked.

"Well…" Arina fidgeted with the blanket. "We didn't have much time to get to know each other, and I realize that leaving like I did probably wasn't very nice to you, so I wanted to make up for it." Taking a deep breath, she called in the gold foil wrapped package and thrust it into his hands. "Here," she blurted out, blushing.

Slowly, Lucien turned the package over and painstakingly unwrapped it. Then he just stared at the pair of black bracelets. Picking up the male bracelet, he turned it in his hands to see every symbol before doing the same thing to the female one. Finally, he looked back up at Arina, somewhat stunned.

"I…Do you know what these symbols mean?" he asked, stunned.

"Yes, the Black Widow told me," she murmured. "Strength, Protector, Power, Love, Faith, Service, Trust, and Hope on this one," she said, lightly tracing over his bracelet. "And Hope, Love, Trust, Faith, Power, Peace, and Wisdom on this." She finished, tracing the symbols on hers. Arina looked back up at Lucien, who stared back at her, expressionless. "Nevermind," she mumbled, looking down at her lap. "I'm sorry, I just thought—"

Lucien wrapped his arms around her tightly and buried his face in her hair. "Don't be sorry," he said fiercely. "I love them, I was just surprised," he explained. "I wasn't expecting anything, let alone—" he stopped, shaking his head, not sure what to say.

"On Earth," Arina began, "When a pair enters into a relationship they often exchange presents. Friendship bracelets are most common, when best friends wear identical bracelets as a symbol of their friendship. When a couple is dating, from what I've seen, boys usually give girls jewelry, but—" she stopped and collected herself. "Here the woman has to initiate things, I get that. And, well, I like you. A lot," she muttered, glad that he couldn't see her face. "And I wanted something to show that we were together. And then I saw these," she finished, trailing off.

Lucien pulled back and tilted her face up with a finger. "You like me," he repeated, studying her face with hope. When she nodded as best she could with his finger under her chin, he smiled brilliantly. "Does that mean I get to kiss you?" he asked wickedly.

Arina's heart and stomach started doing backflips. "Maybe," she said warily.

Lucien picked up her bracelet and took her arm. "May I?" he asked formally. Helplessly she nodded. He fastened the bracelet around her wrist, and the woven silk—the same material used in a Black Widow's web—settled around her wrist like it had always been there. She snatched Lucien's bracelet before he could pick it up and held it, reaching possessively for his arm. He gave it to her with a smile, and let her put his bracelet on him.

"Your mark on me, and mine on you," she murmured.

"May I kiss you now?" Lucien murmured.

"I never took you one for asking permission," she returned lightly. Eyes gleaming gold, he reached for her without any further questions, and she gasped slightly when he touched her face lightly. It felt different, now, she reflected. Then she couldn't think anymore when his lips touched hers, delicately at first.

She threw her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. The kiss turned hot and possessive, devouring. She couldn't think—if someone asked her what her name was in that moment she wouldn't have been able to answer to save her life. Finally, she pulled back, gasping for air. Lucien turned his attention on her neck, kissing his way down her throat to her collar as she struggled to breathe.

Eventually her head cleared somewhat, though every time she thought about what Lucien was doing she forgot everything all over again. "Lucien, wait," she managed. Obviously reluctant, he stopped kissing her, but didn't move from where he had his head buried in the crook of her neck.

"Why?" he mumbled, hot breath brushing over her skin. For a moment her mind went blank, but she chased down her thoughts and stamped on them.

"It's late, and we're tired," she reasoned.

"Oh, no I'm not," he muttered.

"Yes," she insisted. "Lucien, we have time. I don't want to rush to fast now. I want to enjoy this, and I am tired, Lucien. I'm about to fall over," she added, pressing her advantage.

Groaning, Lucien sat up and looked at her. The heated glow in his eyes almost made her change her mind, but common sense reared its head. It would just be too humiliating if she fell asleep on him.

"Go to bed," she insisted. He glanced suggestively at her huge new bed, and she blushed again. "Your bed," she amended. "Please?"

Sighing, the male stood up and went reluctantly to the door, opening it but hovering in the door. "Goodnight, Lady Arina," he murmured.

"Goodnight, Prince Lucien," she whispered. Then, before she could lose her nerve, she added "Dream of me," and hastily used Craft to slam the door shut and lock it. She heard him lean against the door for a moment before walking away.

The Queen fell back against her bed and smiled to herself, knowing that her smile was silly stupid. She didn't care. For the first time, she really looked forward to the morning.

**AN: Here you all go! I tried to add some Lucien/Arina fluff for you all, let me know how I did, please?! Pretty please? (Still need to tell the boys about Starfire Manor…bad Arina)**

**Alright, I'm kind of sick of getting little to no reviews, so I'm going to attempt bribery: If you all give me ten to fifteen reviews for this chapter, I will try to get the next one up by the fifteenth. I will try really hard! Please please please please review! It really helps!**

**Also, I have no drawing talent, and I would adore it if any of my readers are artists and willing to draw a picture for cover art for my story…or have talent at photoshop, which I also have no skill at. That would be so awesome!**


	13. Chapter 13

Arina woke up slowly the next morning, smiling softly. Dark golden sunlight spilled over her face and the bed, warming her entire body. It was such a difference from waking up in Glacia, where the pale light was nice but not warm, and she never wanted to get out of bed. Opening her eyes, Arina found that she was laying on her front on the bed, with her wings stretched out on either side of her and her tail pressed to her side. The blankets on the bed were light and soft, made of some kind of linin that didn't rub against her and didn't weigh down on her wings. There were subtle warming spells on the blankets to keep her warm, because they were so light. Arina giggled quietly when she realized that the bed had to be eighteen feet wide, and her wing tips were right at the edge of it. It was an absolutely massive creation, and the girl found herself wondering where they would have found a mattress that was eighteen feet by what looked like twelve feet. That led to wondering what kind of beds the Eyriens had, to accommodate their wings.

Shaking her head to pull her thoughts back, Arina began to painstakingly stretch out her limbs, extending her arms out above her head, fingers barely brushing the headboard. Flexing her legs and pointing her toes to the foot of the mattress, the Queen was pleased to note that the movement was much less painful than it had been yesterday. In her arms, there was only a lingering soreness in her fingers, where her claws rested. Her legs still ached with pain, but then they had changed and lengthened somewhat, while her arms had not otherwise changed. Still, she could move her legs now, and her arms weren't even sore anymore. She had certainly not enjoyed being helpless to move, despite recognizing that there was no danger, and hoped that the fading pain meant that she was healing. Sadly, it was obvious that she wasn't up for walking yet, but maybe tomorrow or Thursday at the latest she would be up and moving on her own.

A quiet knock at the door interrupted the girl's thoughts, and Arina turned her head towards the door. Extending a probe after a moment's hesitation—she wasn't sure she was up to facing Lucien yet—a strangely shifting Jewel appeared on the other side of the door. One moment it was a Rose, then the presence became a Green, then Red. Arina blinked. She knew about the Twilight's Dawn, but it was a strange thing to sense without seeing Jaenelle herself. "Come in please, Jaenelle," Arina called out.

"I'm glad to see that you are using your Jewel more," Jaenelle said as she entered the large room. Laboriously, Arina shifted around so that she was sitting on the bed rather than laying on her stomach. Leaning forward, Arina put her elbows on her knees to brace herself as she watched Jaenelle move through her room. The older Queen went to the foot of the huge bed, and studied the Web that was resting on the large chest there. Arina blinked.

"That was not there when I went to sleep," she muttered, frowning.

"No," Jaenelle agreed. Arina breathed a sigh of relief. "I came in at midnight to set the Web up. You were already asleep when I came in, and I made sure not to wake you up."

"Oh." Arina looked doubtfully at the blackened strands of silk crisscrossing the polished frame. "That's a good thing, right?" she asked, motioning to the fragile threads.

"Yes, that means that the power placed in the Web was used. Although some might say that it isn't such a good thing, considering that you have to be hurt for it to work," Jaenelle mused. Arina grimaced slightly. "How are you feeling right now?" Jaenelle asked, sitting down on air to face Arina. "Physically, and mentally."

"I'm tired of not being able to move," Arina muttered. "I'm sore, but I can move my arms without pain and I can pick up the blanket with minimal discomfort. I can stretch out my legs and they're sore, but I can't put any weight on them. My back is where I still really hurt, though." Arina's ears flicked back and forth for a moment.

"What about your wings?" Jaenelle asked gently. "And your tail?"

"My wings feel almost disconnected," Arina admitted. "I don't really feel them yet. I can move them when I really try, but only a little bit. My tail is fine, but sore where it connects to my back," Arina muttered. Jaenelle nodded thoughtfully. Arina shook her head and flicked her ears again to pull herself out of her black mood. It would do her no good to be gloomy. "So, what's the verdict, doc?" she asked teasingly.

Jaenelle smiled back at her. "I'd much rather you stay in bed today, if you can tolerate it, laying down as much as possible to take the pressure and weight off of your back and give it a rest," Jaenelle confessed. "I know that it's hard and boring for you to stay still for that long, but it would help you heal if you don't strain yourself."

Arina burst out laughing. "Honestly, Jaenelle, I would do almost anything in order to heal faster. If laying down and lazing the day away is the best way to make sure that it happens, I am absolutely willing to do nothing all day today and the rest of the week. Boring as it will be, short term disadvantages lead to long term advantages. It all works out. I will laze happily." The girl nodded to the piles of bags against the north wall of her room. "Is that everything that I had brought to the Keep?" she asked.

"Yes, I had everything brought down here. I would suggest going through everything and separating it into three sections: what you plan to send to the Keep to stay, what to leave here at the Hall, and what to take with you to Starfire Manor, when you move there. That way you will have something comforting at every place that you can call home."

Arina nodded once in agreement. "Right," she agreed. Then she fidgeted slightly, looking a little embarrassed. "Um…how long should it be before I can start walking on my own again?" she asked nervously, afraid of the answer.

Jaenelle looked at her sympathetically, understanding her desperation. Then the Healer studied Arina's legs intently, seeing more than just long tanned skin. After a long moment of silence, she nodded slowly to herself. Arina almost vibrated with impatience. "Thursday afternoon," The Healer decided. "You can practice walking for a little while. But," she added quickly and warningly when Arina's face lit up, "only when I am with you. Absolutely no practicing on your own, do you understand?"

Reluctantly, Arina agreed, knowing that it would be dangerous for her to try walking on her own. She was likely to trip and fall, and without anyone there she could get seriously injured and no one would know. Not that it wasn't tempting to try it on her own, but Arina wasn't foolish enough to endanger her healing for personal pride. She wasn't a _guy_.

"I don't want to wait three days," Arina muttered. Wincing slightly, she pushed herself up and shifted so that her legs were stretched out behind her and lowered herself onto her stomach with a sigh, resting her chin on her folded hands as she met Jaenelle's eyes.

The woman laid her hand on Arina's head for a moment, amused. "We'll bring in another Web at noon, so that so long as you are staying still we can have something useful going to help heal you more quickly."

Arina blinked, and then turned her head to see out her huge window. "What time is it now?" she asked, eyeing the bright warm glow spread over her entire room.

Jaenelle smirked at her. "Eleven," she drawled. Arina's jaw dropped in surprise—she had never slept in later than nine before in her life. "You needed the sleep, so your body forced it on you," Jaenelle explained, seeing the look of confusion. "Now," Jaenelle continued blithely, "Before you get too comfortable, I am going to give you a bath." She easily ignored Arina's horrified noises, and her equally disgusted expression. "Then you can freshen up and eat brunch."

Jaenelle vanished through the door at the foot of the bed while Arina sputtered furiously. The pipes rattled for a moment when the woman turned the water on for the bath, but she didn't return for about ten minutes. Arina felt only slightly guilty that she hoped that something had happened to Jaenelle so she couldn't come back in.

No such luck.

"Alright, come on," the woman said with obscene cheerfulness as she reentered the bedroom. Arina simply glared at her.

"You'll feel better when you are clean," Jaenelle chided, using Craft to pick the girl up and float her into the bathroom. Arina was determined not to answer the woman, but seeing the bathroom was enough to make her jaw drop in open shock. No wonder it took Jaenelle ten minutes to fill up the bathtub. It had to be 20 feet across. She could swim laps in the thing! Arina considered this thoughtfully. Bouyancy in the water would mean less pressure on her body, while the swimming would still help her tone her new body. Hmm…

Meanwhile, Jaenelle chuckled at Arina's amazement. "I made sure all the baths were large after I realized that the Kindred were apt to join any human they could in the baths. Or at least, the wolves and the scelties would jump in. The cats aren't so fond of water that they would willingly get into a bath." Arina just shook her head in silence, before grinning.

"I'd best keep Janos out, then. Wait, where is he? I'm surprised I haven't seen him yet." Arina groaned in bliss as she was set down in the steaming water. Then she turns expectantly back to Jaenelle, who settled next to her on the edge of the bath.

"Janos has been adopted into the wolf pack," Jaenelle explained. "He is so much more like a wolf than the scelties, after all."

"Of course," Arina drawled. "He's a German Shepard, not a poodle."

Jaenelle raised an eyebrow, but said only, "The pack is due back tomorrow, so you don't have to worry about him 'til then."

Arina nodded hazily, dropping her head back onto the padded corner of the bath. The ensuing moment of quiet was interrupted when Jaenelle reached for the bottle of shampoo. Arina snarled, baring her fangs instinctively. "_No_," she snapped. "I can wash myself. My hands don't hurt that much."

Handing the girl the bottle, Jaenelle stood up and stretched out. "Alright," she said easily.

Arina sighed. "Sorry," she mumbled, dunking her head under the water to wet her hair. "I just can't stand the idea of someone else giving me a bath. I'm sure you did it while I was unconscious, and I appreciate it, but when I'm awake, I need to do it on my own. I'm not going to be a damsel in distress."

Jaenelle laughed at the idea. "Damsel in distress?" she asked, smirking.

"You know," Arina said, waving a hand around. "Weak, pretty females who are only good for sitting around while their men come to save them. Please. They would probably get lost," she muttered to herself.

"Lost?"

"It's a long standing joke on Earth," Arina explained. "Whenever people go on trips, the males insist that they know how to get there and refuse to ask directions no matter how lost they get, while women are smart enough to ask for help when they need it." She paused. "I don't need help now," she added.

"I can take a hint," Jaenelle said dryly, heading back for the door. "Do you want me to grab any clothes for you to change into when you are finished?"

"There should be a pair of black stretch pants in the big pink bag, and just grab one of the tank tops in it as well, please," Arina requested. After bringing the pants and a white tank, along with underwear, Jaenelle left the room, promising to send up some food in about a half hour. Arina groaned in relief once the women had left her rooms, relaxing back and almost slipping completely underwater.

"Finally," she muttered to herself.

Exactly thirty minutes after Jaenelle had left; there was a knock on the door. Arina looked up from the bed that she had managed to float herself onto, smiling brightly in excitement. "Come in, Lucien," she called. The male walked through the door rather than opening it, carrying a tray stuffed full of food. Arina spared a split second to hope that she wasn't drooling as she focused on the food. Lucien laughed at the expression on her face as he set the tray down on the bed in front of her and perched on the edge. Arina attacked the food. Very reluctantly, she let him have a few bites of her omelet, but he didn't push, somewhat concerned she would try to kill him if he tried to eat anything else.

"Ok, I'm full," she announced finally, wiggling backwards and laying her head down on her arms.

"I should think so," Lucien said. "Fifteen minutes, and you completely destroyed that tray. I don't think Uncle Lucivar could do that."

"I scared Farostel last night," she confessed. "I think he was afraid I was going to start eating him." Lucien frowned at the wording, and Arina snickered at him. "Don't worry, I'm not planning to eat him or anyone else," she assured him, nudging his leg. Lucien vanished the tray and looked at her for a long moment as she closed her eyes and hummed in contentment. The top and pants both clung to her body, revealing both her curves and the weight she had lost during her transformation. Her long silky multi-colored but still black hair was braided back tightly, making her face stand out sharply, and his eyes traced over her cheekbones and lips. "Quit staring at me," she murmured. He met her silver eyes with his gold, seeing a challenge in hers.

"What do you want me to do, then?" he asked softly.

"Come here," she ordered in reply, rolling over onto her back.

"This bed is even bigger than my Mom's," Lucien muttered as he crawled over to Arina.

"Wings," she reminded as he reached her. Stradling her hesitantly, Lucien hovered over her for a moment. Rolling her eyes, Arina reached up and grabbed his shirt to pull him down. "Honestly, I'm not that breakable," she growled. Then any and all further words were impossible as he pressed his mouth to hers, covering her completely. Her hands moved to fist in his hair, claws safely sheathed. Lucien almost fell on top of her as his arms gave out and he just caught himself on his elbows, pressing down on top of her.

Without warning, Arina flipped them over so that she was on top of him, her wings spreading out to cover them both as she released his hair with one hand to grab his shirt again. Lucien growled softly, wrapping his arms around her and undoing her braid somewhat haltingly. He kept getting distracted by kisses and the tugging on his shirt, which made it hard for him to coordinate his hands. Finally he managed to get it all loose, and the damp locks promptly fell down over their faces, blocking out most of the light.

"Woah, I did not need to see that!"

Arina yelped, and jerked to the side and off Lucien's chest. The male in question snarled and hurled a heavy pillow in the direction of the door. "Rose!" he snarled.

"Whoops, sorry," his sister smirked. Arina glared at her.

"No you aren't," she muttered, dropping her head on Lucien's shoulder as he sat up. Briefly, Arina glanced down to see the remains of his shirt—apparently her claws had come back out when trying to get it off of him—and blushed hotly, averting her eyes.

"No, I'm not," Rose agreed. "We waited for you to finish eating and come out, but you seemed to forget that we were out here," she added, glaring at her brother, who glared back unrepentantly.

"Jaenelle said I was supposed to stay in bed," Arina said quickly.

"So she did," Gabrielle said from the doorway. The Dea al Mon Queen walked in carrying a Web identical to the one that Jaenelle had removed that morning, only the strands of this web were a creamy white. Smiling, Gabrielle took Arina's hand, pricked her finger and let three drops of blood fall to the Web, activating it. "The Web should work over the next eight hours, but one of us will be checking on your progress every couple of hours to be safe." Catching Arina's exasperated expression, Gabrielle added more softly, "We all care about you. But more than that, you are important to the Realm, and we will take care of you for them, and for our children. Let us."

Arina smiled. "Thank you," she called as Gabrielle turned towards the door. The older woman smiled back at her and nodded before closing the door softly.

The rest of the group had spread out over the room, calling in various chairs or just sitting on the rugs covering the floor. The room in itself was simply decorated with pale cream walls, hardwood floors covered with dark foresty-brown rugs, the massive four poster bed, a desk, three towering bookshelves, and a set of comfortable chairs by two of the book cases just below the bed. It was obviously a sort of blank room, waiting for Arina's personal touch to make it her own. Idly, Arina wondered how much time she would really spend here, though. She had her own home now, after all. Did it make any sense that she have an entire suite here as well?

*Have you told them yet?* Rose asked on a distaff thread.

*No. I'm going to now, so shush.*

*Can we leave first?*

*No. Suck it up.*

"So, do you like your room?" Yaslana was asking. "Or were you too busy to see it?" he added. The males laughed. Lucien dropped back on the bed with a groan. "Put a shirt on brother," Yaslana continued teasing.

"My room is nice," Arina interrupted, putting her hand down on Lucien's chest to keep him still and prevent him from launching at his younger brother. "I like it. The bathtub in particular is to die for," she added almost dreamily. Daemonar burst out laughing at her expression, and everyone else was highly amused.

"I have something I need to tell you guys," Arina said quietly. "The girls know this already, because I made the arrangements while I was still in Glacia. I haven't told you yet because—well, circumstances conspired against me, and last night I was too tired. So I'm telling you now."

She had the entire room's undivided attention, and the girls were looking nervous, while the boys were definitely wary.

"I think that this room is very nice," she said slowly. "I'm sure that I will enjoy visiting it."

There was a long pause as the boys processed this statement. Lucien stiffened beside her, and the other boys went still as well.

"You don't plan to stay here," Farostel said.

"Why don't you want to live here?" Yaslana demanded.

"Where are you planning to go, if not here?" Leon snapped.

"What is wrong with the Hall?" Jasper growled.

Arina let the shouts and growls roll over her without saying anything. She looked down at the very tense body of the Warlord Prince laying down beside her. Lucien refused to meet her eyes, opting to stare out the porch doors instead. When the males finally stopped talking, she looked back up. "Are you going to listen to me, now?" she asked. She got a lot of steely looks, but the males nodded all the same. "Good."

Arina had been sitting up and leaning against the headboard of the bed, but now she straightened up to face them. "No, I don't plan on living here at the Hall. This has nothing to do with what the Hall is, or if I like the Hall or not. There is nothing wrong with the Hall. There is something wrong with living under someone else's charity, and something worse about living under the same roof as my boyfriend's parents. Not ok," she added. There were a couple of wry smiles, but there was still quite a bit of tension in the room. The only reason that the boys weren't completely flipping out was because the girls were all so calm, Arina suspected.

"I want to have my own house. I want somewhere that I know is mine, somewhere I know that I will always have. I am grateful to Jaenelle and Daemon for allowing me to stay here, but this is their home, and the center of their power. I am not going to be comfortable with having the same center. Queens, we're like wolves—we need to have our own territories. I'm no exception. Is it so wrong that I want my own home?" she asked the boys, spreading her hands out.

"No, of course not," Daemonar snapped. "But what about _us_?"

"You want your own house, and doesn't that mean that you want to be on your own as well?" Farostel asked.

Arina stared at him for a moment before scanning the rest of the room. "Really, that's how you feel?" she asked, stunned.

"Is that not what you mean?" Dmitri asked hopefully.

"No," Arina cried. "That's not what I mean at all. I'm not leaving you behind, idiots," she snapped, smacking Lucien on the arm. "Really? I just…have any of you heard of Starfire Manor?"

There was a round of shaking heads.

"Alright. Starfire Manor is a huge, gigantic mansion out in the Hayllian jungle. It's only a little bit smaller than the Hall. That's the 'house' I bought. And before you ask, you already have the right to choose your own rooms there. I'm not abandoning you all. Really, I promise. I'm just setting up my own sphere of power. And really? I am not going to suffer under the same roof as your mother," she added to Lucien. "That is simply too horrible to contemplate."

"They won't care," he muttered.

"I care," she snapped.

Rose looked between the two of them on the bed and stood up. "Okay, I think it's time for most of us to clear out. Let us know when we can come back in, but right now I think you need to work some things out between you." She started pushing the other teens out the door, some of them moving faster than the others. The room was clear within a couple of minutes, and Arina looked down at Lucien again.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" he asked, pained.

"I forgot. I was a bit distracted at the time. Lucien, does it really matter that I told all of you at the same time?"

He looked away for a moment. Arina swallowed hard. "I'm sorry," she mumbled.

"Don't be. I just—I could have helped you, defended you from them. But I couldn't, because I was so stunned."

"Lucien, does me wanting my own house really mean something in this world? _Does_ it mean that I don't like the people I'm with, and that I want a new start away from them?"

He nodded reluctantly. "Most of the time, yes. If they are given their own homes as a gift, like Grandpa gave Mom her cabin, then it's different, but if someone goes to the effort of getting their own house, and doesn't want help or anything, then yes. It's usually because they want to get away from the people they are with."

"Then I am doubly sorry," Arina sighed. "As far as I knew, buying a house was just that—buying your own house so you don't live with your parents anymore. Most people get their own places to show that they are adults. Lucien, it doesn't matter how well meant it is—I can't live on someone else's charity. I just can't."

"I'm sorry I overreacted as well," Lucien said, finally relaxing and sitting up. "And I believe that this is the point where we make up." She blinked at him, and he kissed her again. All train of thought quickly flew out the window, and she responded eagerly. Lucien quickly threw a Black shield around the room to prevent any interruptions this time, and turned his full attention back on Arina. Time to use his father's lessons.

"They've been in there for a while," Lillian said.

"Two and a half hours, but who's counting?" Daemonar muttered, staring hard at the bedroom door. They were all gathered in Arina's sitting room, waiting to go back into her room.

"I don't think we are going to be getting back in there," Rose remarked.

"And I think that they've had long enough," Farostel snapped, getting to his feet. He stalked across the room and pounded on the door violently. There was no response, and after a moment he tried to force the door open. "Black shield," he announced in disgust.

"No one ever said that Lucien was stupid," Jonathon pointed out dryly. "He won't want to be interrupted like he was earlier. Of course he locked the door so that no one could get in."

"Well, there is someone who can still get in," Farostel growled, changing direction and heading for the door to the hallway. "I'll be back soon," he called over his shoulder.

"I have a really bad feeling about this," Alexandra muttered.

It didn't take long for Farostel to reappear at the door. He was followed by the massive white furred Acerian Warlord Prince, and his two sons.

"Mother Night," Astira breathed.

*Cub and mate in room?* Kaelas asked.

"Ah, yes," Yaslana stammered, eyeing the cats warily.

Kaelas nodded and turned towards the door. Farostel curled his fingers in Kaelas' fur and let the Kindred pull him through the door and the Black shield.

*Hello, cub* Kaelas announced. Farostel fought to keep a straight face as Lucien jerked upright to stare wildly at the cat. *Cub mate?* the cat asked, padding forward to sniff Arina's hair and ears. The girl, laying on her back with her head near the edge of the bed, tipped her face back to look at Kaelas. She smiled, flashing fangs.

"Hello," she replied. "Aren't we handsome?" Flipping over, she met Kaelas' eyes from the right direction, and her tail flicked slowly side to side above her.

*Cub mate?* Kaelas asked again. Lucien and Farostel both looked curious as to the answer, though Lucien was much more invested in the answer.

Arina tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "Yes," she eventually agreed. "Mate." Lucien closed his eyes in relief.

"Anyway," Farostel interrupted. "You've been in here for over two hours, I think you've had time to work things out."

Lucien gave him a terrifying and downright hateful stare, which Farostel ignored. Arina laughed quietly. "He's right," she told the fuming Warlord Prince. "Drop the shield, let them in. Besides, I'm not really capable of going much further right now, nor am I ready."

Farostel raised an eyebrow. "How far did you go?" he asked mildly.

She ignored the question. As Lucien dropped the shield, she asked, "Do me a favor, Farostel, and grab me that blue sweatshirt?" Arina nodded toward a white bag, where a blue sleeve was poking out of the top. The male grabbed it and walked over to hand it to Arina, who used craft to slip it on before sitting up. She made a face, flushing slightly. "Let's just say that we went far enough that I needed a new shirt."

Lucien chuckled as he lay back down on the bed, tugging Arina over to curl into him. Her tail wrapped absently around his wrist, and Farostel took a seat next to her on the bed as well. Lucien glowered at the Dea al Mon, but sighed in defeat when Arina smiled at the other male before turning back to Kaelas. "Thank you for interrupting us," she told him gravely. "I'm not ready to make cubs yet."

The cat nodded. *Feline under skin, out of skin,* he said. She took a minute to puzzle over this.

"Yes, I'm part cat," she said.

*We will hunt together when you are not sick,* Kaelas proclaimed before leaving the room as abruptly as he had entered it.

Arina stared after him in bemusement as the group came in once again and settled all over the room. "Hunting," she finally said.

"You're lucky," Dmitri said, flexing the claws he had inherited from his father, so like her own. "You'll like it, I think. There is certainly enough predator in you."

"Right." Arina cleared her throat and shook her head, sending her hair everywhere. Sighing, she reached back to braid it back again. "So, everyone has recovered from my announcement, and everyone is fine with me getting my own home?" she asked.

"Sure," Yaslana said. "It'll be fun, to be away from everything. What about your training as a Queen, though?"

"Hayll has Queens, and Courts," Arina returned, rolling her eyes. "I can apprentice with them. That way no one will claim that I was favored, because none of Hayll's Queens are part of Jaenelle's Court."

"You wouldn't be favored," Rillian protested.

"This is what I want," Arina insisted.

"When are you going to move, then?" Farostel asked, trying to break the tension.

"When I'm healed, and Jaenelle, Gabrielle and Karla let me leave their tender mercies, I suppose. I need to write a letter to the Territory Queen," she muttered to herself.

"And when are we going to move in?" Jasper asked pointedly. Everyone looked at Arina expectantly, even the girls. They hadn't thought about that part of things.

She looked back at them evenly. "You are welcome to visit, and even choose rooms, but none of you will move in permanently until I turn twenty, make the Offering, and form my Court."

**AN: I did it! I actually managed to finish a chapter by the fifteenth. To those of you who reviewed, I greatly appreciate it. For those of you that didn't, you know who you are. To those of you who cheated…Well, I'm updating anyway. So I guess it doesn't really matter. **

**Thank you for continuing to read my stories. On a side note, I now have a job, so that will probably take us some of my time. I will make every effort to update on time, but if I miss it by a few days, please forgive me.**

**Please keep reviewing, or start!**


	14. Chapter 14

No amount of begging or pleading changed Arina's mind in the next few hours. Eventually the boys stopped trying, realizing that it was futile, and started to catch up with their homework and lessons that they hadn't been paying attention to before. The girls had lessons as well, though most of them were just drawing instead.

Arina, on the other hand, sorted.

In the course of her pre-Realms shopping spree, she had collected no less than 33 bags of clothes, 9 bags of books, and 6 bags of miscellaneous _stuff._ And that was only counting the things that she had gotten on her last day on Earth, when she had thrown caution to the winds and gone shopping. So there were also her three suitcases from her room that she would have to sort through, though there were very little clothes in there—mostly books and figurines.

It took quite some time to go through, naturally. Arina had spread out the bags to line up around the edge of the bed, scooting forward so that her head and arms were hanging over the ground, but still leaving her wings on the bed, so that she had access to the contents of the bags. Jaenelle had sent up a storage box to put things in to send to the Keep, and by going through the first two bags, she had already set four sweaters and three jeans in it. By the time the four hour mark rolled around, there were 9 pairs of jeans in different shades and fits, black pants, formal dresses, dress suits, 21 sweaters, and even more long sleeved shirts, and about a dozen sweatshirts in the storage box, and that was really only the cold weather clothing.

"Mercy," Arina groaned. There were so many more clothes for warm weather, because the town that she had lived in on Earth had long summers and short winters with warm springs and falls. Which was good, seeing as she would now be living in a jungle, and as such wouldn't need long pants and sweaters. But sorting everything out had been absolutely terrible, and she hated it. The fact that it had taken four hours hardly helped her disposition.

"Relax," Rose counseled. "Look on the bright side: at least you're completely done now." The girl slammed the lid down on the storage box with a crash before floating the massive container out of the room to be picked up.

"I am never doing that again," Arina declared. "I'm not packing to go on trips, I am never going to move, nothing. I won't go through this pain anymore." She dropped her head into her arms with a sigh, her hair pooling in the small space formed by her position. Lucien brushed his fingers over her braid, only for her to growl slightly. "Leave it," she muttered.

"Sure you will," Titian said cheerfully, getting to her feet and stretching as she smiled brightly at the pair on the bed.

"No."

"Ah, well. That's what you'll have staff for, in the end," Alexandra teased. Arina snorted in reluctant amusement. She wasn't entirely sure with the whole staff thing, and being taken care of by someone else, rather than taking care of herself. It was so different from the way that she had been living her entire life.

A quick knock on the door preceded Karla into the room and she walked carefully over to Arina's bed. Lucien sat up and shifted out of the way so that the older woman could reach the girl, who sighed.

"I hate being injured," she grumbled.

"Don't we all," Karla sympathized. Rillian giggled slightly off to the side, and Arina's lips twitched as well. The checkup went quickly, and Karla kept the orders the same as Jaenelle's, proving that nothing had changed in the last few hours. Arina was still supposed to stay in bed, and wasn't allowed to get up and sit in a chair until tomorrow morning when one of the three Healers would check her again. "You're recovering quickly," Karla noted.

"Jaenelle said that I could be walking around on Thursday afternoon," Arina told her. She stretched her legs out behind her, pointing her toes with a slight wince that didn't go unnoticed.

"Well, we'll see," Karla said, giving Arina a speculative look. "If you keep up with the stretches you've obviously been doing, then you might be walking sooner. Over do it, though, and it will be later," Karla warned. "Be careful, child."

"Oh, I will," Arina assured her. She had absolutely no intention of spending more time in bed, so she was spacing out her stretches and going between the different body parts rather than focusing on only one limb.

"Good," Karla replied, climbing to her feet and strolling back to the door calmly. She paused before leaving the room, turning back to fix Arina with a sharp stare. "Have you told them about the house you bought yet?" she asked shrewdly.

A round of grumbles went around the room, and Karla raised an eyebrow in silent amusement at the answer. Shaking her head, the woman slipped out the door, closing it with a quiet click behind her.

"Tell me again why you won't let us move in with you," Leon pressed after Karla left. The male was staring intently at Arina, obviously frustrated. Arina sighed quietly, closing her eyes.

"There are lots of reasons," she said eventually. "You all have families and commitments to your own Territories, and until you officially enter into a Court," she nodded to the males in the room, "Or make you Offering to the Darkness, then you aren't exactly free to move in with me. We need to finish growing and maturing, and the best way to do that is to still live separately so that later we don't get on each other's nerves right away. We can still spend time together, and you can stay at the Manor sometimes, but you can't move in permanently. Besides, until I make my Offering and form my court, I'll be apprenticing to one of the Hayllian Queens. I won't even be at the Manor, so there is no point in everyone moving in anyway. So it makes more sense that you spend this time with your families, before you move away for good."

"And what about you?" Farostel demanded. "Are you just going to work all of the time? Go back to stay in an empty house when we aren't there? I don't think so," he growled.

Arina snapped at him in irritation. "It's not like that," she snarled.

"Oh, then what is it going to be like?" Yaslana jumped in.

"Different," Arina snapped. "It's not like I can't or won't come visit the Hall—I do like it here, I just don't want to live here. Get it through your heads—I'm not leaving you behind or forgetting about you! I don't know how to make that any clearer than it already is!"

"Hey, you're claws vanished," Dmitri said suddenly, staring down at Arina's hands. She blinked, startled, and followed his eyes. Sure enough, her hands looked perfectly normal and human, without the wickedly sharp nails. Fascinated, Arina turned her hands over, examining both sides.

"Well," Rose drawled, eyes intent, "that's intriguing."

According to Jaenelle, Arina's claws had vanished because she had accepted them as part of her body and acclimated to having them. They weren't gone, just no longer visible. Jaenelle theorized that eventually all of the changes that had happened to Arina's body would disappear and leave her as a normal, completely human teenager with no visible differences. Arina would still be able to call forth the Dream within the Flesh at will, just like she could now flex her claws when she wanted to, but the changes would not be obvious.

Taking another bath that night, Arina stared at her reflection in the huge mirror, conflicted. Part of her was eager to return to being a normal looking teenager, but a small part of her was insisting that she wanted to keep the changes. She was so powerful, so strong now, and Arina was afraid that if she returned to being normal then she wouldn't be as much of Witch as she was now. Looking down, Arina flexed her fingers and watched as claws emerged seamlessly from her skin.

Did she want to lose what made her special?

The group brought a bunch of tables into Arina's bedroom so that they could keep up with their classwork while at the same time keeping the young Queen company while she was on forced bed rest. When Arina wasn't sorting through her many bags of random stuff, she was working her way through Jared's Journal, which Lucien had lent her. The book was a surprisingly accurate look at the recent history of Terreille, especially with the notes that Daemon had added on extra pages that he slipped into the copy that she had been given.

Along with the Journal, Arina had a thick stack of books on the history of Kaeleer sitting on her bedside table. One of those books was written by Jaenelle, and it was Arina's favorite. It was the best and most accurate history of the Realm, because it included every single Territory, even the closed and the Kindred Territories. And all of the books had been gifted to Arina, not lent, so she could take notes in the margins. She had already taken the map of Terreille and scrawled "Nazi Germany" over Hayll.

The Queen alternated between books, trying to keep from getting too bored and losing focus completely, but it wasn't easy. The hum of nineteen voices in the large room was a soothing noise that tended to lure Arina towards sleep, and several times she caught herself nodding off several times over the past two days. Of course, the Webs and the fact that her body was repairing itself rapidly were both good reasons for why she was so tired all the time.

On Thursday morning, Arina finished the last page of Jared's Journal and closed it softly, looking thoughtful.

"What do you think?" Lucien asked. He was laying on the bed beside her like usual, and had been reading his own book before he realized that she had finished. Arina hummed softly as she leaned against him.

"It was interesting," she said after a moment. "I'm glad that Jared got his happy ending with Lia, at least. It seems like such a horrible place." Arina trailed off, thinking about the things she had read about the rule of the High Priestess of Hayll. They were atrocities similar to those from Earth, and wasn't that just sad.

"Yeah, it was awful. Father and Uncle Lucivar don't really like to talk about it, but it's pretty obvious. It's gotten better since Mother's Purge, though." Arina nodded drowsily, thinking about the last set of notes in the Journal about how Jaenelle had set off the great Witchstorm, and the ones detailing the history of the new Territory in Terreille, Shalador Nehele. "I like Lady Cassidy a lot," Lucien mused. "And her Court."

"Mmm…maybe…we can go visit sometime," Arina murmured absently. A moment later, Lucien blinked in surprise when Arina curled into his side, one wing draped comfortably over him, and went to sleep. He smiled a little and brushed her hair away from her face so that he could see it. She always looked so peaceful when she was sleeping.

Arina slept for about three hours, the longest stretch she had ever gone when surrounded by other people. Usually she could only catnap, too wary of being surrounded. The others in the room stayed quiet, but not soundless, and relaxed a little. Astira drifted over after a couple of hours and started playing with Arina's hair, drawing it down and running her fingers through it to separate the more metallic colored strands. She twisted the hair around so that black blended with the bronze and gold strands.

"What are you doing?" Arina mumbled as she woke up, cracking one eye open and looking at Astira in confusion.

"Nothing!" the younger girl chirped brightly. She hastily dropped her handful of hair and it fell all around Arina's shoulders. The Dea al Mon girl blushed softly, and Arina laughed.

"It's all right," Arina drawled, stretching. "You can play with it if you want. I don't care, and you could probably do more with it than I ever could."

Astira beamed at her, and skipped back over to Lauranna just as the door opened and Jaenelle and Gabrielle came in. Arina's eyes lit up in excitement.

Jaenelle smiled at her. "Are you ready to start walking?" she asked.

"You have no idea," Arina said with feeling. Gabrielle laughed.

While Arina napped, the rest of the teens had moved all the tables and chairs that they had brought into the room off to the side so that there was a large open space in the middle of the room for Arina to practice walking in.

"Have you been doing the stretches that you showed Karla?" Jaenelle asked as Arina scooted over to the edge of the bed and sat up, dropping her legs over the side to the floor.

Arina nodded. "It doesn't hurt anymore when I stretch," she added.

"That's a good sign," Gabrielle returned, studying Arina's legs. She was wearing a pair of short black shorts with a bright blue tank top today to complement the warm weather, and the windows were open in her room as well. There was new muscle on Arina's lower legs, and they looked strong. "All right, let's go," Gabrielle said.

Lucien hovered next to Arina as the girl set her arms down to push herself up off the bed. She made a face at him as she slowly rose. "I'm alright," she told him. The Warlord Prince ignored her, because at that moment Arina wobbled slightly and had to grab onto his arm to catch herself and stay on her feet.

"Right," Lucien drawled softly. "I'm sure."

"Humph," Arina muttered, straightening up. Her back muscles had grown stronger over the past two days from the time she had spent sitting up in her bed and letting the muscles work for short periods of time. She had also practiced spreading her wings out when no one was around to yell at her, additionally strengthening her wings and back. Now she automatically adjusted her torso to match how Rillian and Lillian held themselves—shoulders back and posture very straight, and felt her wings almost grow lighter. Apparently posture really was that important.

She started taking wobbly steps forward, Lucien hovering on one side and Gabrielle lurking on the other. Jaenelle stayed at a distance, eyes sharp on the girl. After a few feet, Arina's steps strengthened and grew more sure as she steadied. Arina laughed giddily.

It was only about twenty minutes later when Jaenelle told her to stop. By then, her legs were burning mercilessly, as was her back, so Arina didn't argue too much when the Healer Queen ordered a long hot bath and more sleep.

"We'll practice again tonight before you sleep, and starting tomorrow we'll have a session every couple of hours. I'll talk to Lucivar about helping with your wings," Jaenelle told her. "You did an amazing job, today. I'm proud of you."

Arina beamed tiredly.

Jaenelle was as good as her word. On Friday she walked around her room for two hours, with countless breaks in between, of course. By Sunday she was wobbling around the courtyard outside her balcony windows, and she started going through wing strengthening exercises as well. Every night one of the three Healers activated a Web while she slept, helping to strengthen her muscles even more. By the next Friday, she was released from bed rest and could be found either walking and stretching, either in the courtyard or the yard with Janos, or in the stables.

She spent hours with Lucien, just hanging out and talking together. They were taking things slowly, working through their issues and getting to know each other better.

Farostel was rapidly becoming one of her closest friends as well. He was even easier than Lucien to get along with, simply because the Dea al Mon male had no expectations of her. He was also funny, though quiet, and it wasn't long before she was more comfortable with him than most anyone else.

Lucien no longer liked Farostel very much.

"Arina?" The Queen looked up from where she was engaged in a chess match with Yaslana on the floor of the Gathering Room. Lucien was reading on the couch, and Farostel was asleep in a chair. Rose, Lauranna and Augustine, the other three Queens out of the group of teens were huddled over a book off in the corner. Both Lucien and Yaslana were giving them suspicious looks every couple of minues.

"Yes?" Arina asked Chaosti.

"The Queen of Hayll is here to see you. She has your letter with her."

Arina's eyes widened. She had expected a letter in response to her inquiry, not a visit from the Territory Queen. Hastily, she scrambled to her feet and brushed herself off. "I—I should change," she yelped, looking down at her sweatpants and baggy sweater.

"If you'd like," Chaosti said in amusement.

"Thank you for letting me know," she told him quickly, kissing him on the cheek as she rushed past. The male waved after her lazily, watching his son, who had opened his eyes and was watching him back. Eventually Chaosti nodded and walked back down the hall. Yaslana shrugged and vanished the chessboard carefully so that he could continue the game later. Farostel and Lucien stared at each other, silently deciding who would be escorting Arina to her meeting.

Lucien won the competition, and went after Arina. Muffled curses came through the door, and Lucien raised an eyebrow in surprise before knocking.

"Just a minute, Lucien," Arina called. "I'm almost done."

About ninety seconds later, she pulled the door open. Arina had changed into a white flowing gown that fell to her feet and swirled around her waist. She had pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail and put a gold headband on to keep it out of her face. That was all she had done, though.

Arina set off down the hallway, moving quickly. Lucien caught up with her and offered his arm, knowing that she still tended to wobble when she moved to fast. She took his arm and took a deep breath. They walked slowly down the stairs and stopped outside of a drawing room, hearing the murmur of voices inside. Arina's ears flicked rapidly, betraying her nervousness, and her tail lashed.

"Relax," Lucien whispered. "We're here, and we won't let anything happen."

Arina arched an eyebrow. "We?" she murmured. Lucien grimaced slightly and nodded over to the shadows by the door. Farostel detached himself at Arina's questioning look and slipped over to stand on her other side.

It was a little pathetic that she had to be flanked by two highly imposing males to have a restored level of confidence. Particularly considering the fact that she was supposed to become the Queen of Ebon Avaski, but Arina brushed that fact aside for the moment. Taking yet another deep breath to calm down, Arina opened the door and stepped into the large drawing room.

Jaenelle, Daemon, and a strange woman all turned to the door.

The Queen of Hayll, for that had to be who this woman was, was not what Arina had expected. For one thing, she was surprisingly small, standing at only five feet, four inches tall. Somehow, Arina had always pictured her to be taller than that. Her black hair was braided off to the side, and she wore a dark green dress that was both functional and attractive. All in all, the Lady Irena Delanio was a very sweet looking woman. It was only her steely golden eyes that gave a hint of the strong personality that ruled the jungle Territory.

"Lady Delanio, Lady Angelline, Prince Sadi," Arina greeted. "Lady Delanio, I wasn't expecting your visit. I would have thought a letter would be an easier way to let me know of your decision," Arina added.

"Yes, it would have been. However, I have not yet decided for sure if I should accept your petition. You are a young woman with very little training, yet is sponsored by some of the most powerful and influential Queens in the Realm. I wanted to speak with you personally before I made my choice." The Hayllian Queen was quiet, but her voice was deeper than expected. The woman gave Arina a firm, assessing look. "May we speak in private?" the Queen asked pointedly.

Jaenelle rose lightly to her feet and pulled her husband up. "Of course. You are welcome to stay for dinner, if you wish, Lady." The two grown Queens smiled at each other before Jaenelle strolled out of the room with her husband, leaving the room feeling somehow empty.

Lucien and Farostel both glanced at Arina questioningly before they left reluctantly at her nod.

"Sit down, my dear. You look like you are still recovering from a Healing." The golden eyed woman glanced quickly over Arina's wings and ears, her more visible changes. The fangs, thankfully, had vanished on Wednesday. It was a good thing as well, considering that she had kept slicing her lip open with them accidentily.

"Thank you, Lady Delanio." Arina gratefully sank down into the sofa, but remained rigidly upright.

"Please, call me Irena." Arina nodded silently, twisting her hands together in her lap. Irena watched her carefully. "Why do you want to move to Hayll? I'm sure you would be welcome to stay here, or travel anywhere you wished within the Territories of Lady Angelline's coven."

Arina straightened up even more. "Because I could go anywhere. But if I did, then everyone would think that I liked those people more, and it would hurt the friendships I am trying to form. And because…well, I need to live in Hayll. I wasn't sure about it at first, but when I was looking for a home, I found Starfire Manor—"

"I know of it," Irena said thoughtfully.

"And the jungle sang to me. I can't even try to explain it, Lady. But I felt so at peace, so happy there. I can't imagine living anywhere else. It is my home, and always will be. So it only makes sense for me to apprentice in the Territory that will be my home from now on. I'm sure that I could easily apprentice to any of Lady Jaenelle's friends, but that feels something like cheating." Arina blushed. "And now I feel silly," she mumbled. But Irena smiled.

"Good," she said in satisfaction. Arina blinked. "I had hoped that that would be your response, or something like it. I don't need Queens who don't feel for the land. I need ones that love it, and you obviously already do. With time, that love will grow stronger."

"I—you—you mean, you're saying yes?" Arina breathed.

"Lady Arina Julianne Valini, I would be pleased to take you on as an apprentice in my Court," the Hayllian Queen said formally. "Do you accept?"

"I do," Arina said gravely, bowing her head. Lady Delanio touched her forehead gently, then smiled brightly.

"I'm so glad," she said brightly. "I'm sure that we are going to be wonderful friends, darling." For the first time, Arina wondered how old the woman really was. She acted very maturely earlier, but right now she seemed young.

"Thank you so much," Arina said dazedly. She pulled herself together with an effort. "Are you staying for dinner, Lady?"

"Irena," the woman said firmly.

"Irena," Arina repeated, rolling her eyes. "Are you staying for dinner, _Irena_?"

The other woman beamed. "No, I have to head back and finish up the arrangements. When will you be arriving at the Court?"

Arina did some quick calculations in her head. "Today is Saturday…so, I think my Healing will be done in a week, so next Wednesday? Would that be alright, or do you want me sooner?"

"Wednesday is fine," Irena dismissed. "I'd hate to have Lady Angelline on my case about disrupting a Healing. I'll see you then, darling. Ta!" The woman rolled out of the room without any further delay, leaving Arina feeling like she had just gotten hit in the head and in shock. She just sat there on the couch, staring at the doorway. After a minute, Lucien rushed in.

"Arina?" he asked, kneeling in front of her when she didn't react, worried. He squeezed her hand. "Are you okay?"

She blinked at him slowly. "I…yes. Yes, of course. I'm fine. I just—wow.'

"So, what did she say?" Rose demanded from the doorway. Arina looked up to see the girl leaning around Farostel, who was planted firmly in the doorway. "Are you going or what?"

"Next Wednesday," Arina confirmed, climbing to her feet, still holding Lucien's hand. "I'll be leaving to join the Court of Hayll next Wednesday." Slowly, she started to smile.

Lucien slumped, ever so slightly for a second before getting up and managing to smile at her. "Congratulations," he murmured.

"This isn't the end of us," Arina promised. "It's not like we'll never see each other again. But I need the skills to set up my Court. And," she added, pulling her hand from his and kissing him lightly. "You need the skills to join my Court. So we'll all be busy." She flashed a challenging smile at the teens waiting in the entrance hall as she joined them. "Because I don't think that any of us—maybe baring Daemonar, you old man—are yet qualified to form a Court."

"Yet," Farostel countered.

"Yes," Arina purred. "Yet."

**AN: I hate this chapter. I feel like the rhythm was bad, and it doesn't flow well. I was trying to get through all of her healing and everything quickly to move on, but I don' think it came out very well. But anyway, here's the chapter. Please let me know if you think it isn't very good, so I can try to fix it. But I need feedback, people. Please.**

**Also, I'm starting a references page that will be putting the teen's names, castes, Jewels, parents, and basic descriptions, because I feel like I really haven't done that very well for anyone except Arina. And when I do, that description is what I will be going off of from now on, even if it is different from what I've written before. I need to go back and do some editing anyways.**

**Please, please review!**


	15. Chapter 15

The next week was somewhat quiet. Faced with Arina's imminent departure, Farostel, Lucien, and the rest of the boys all hovered close to her. Her words tended to repeat in their minds—if she were to form her court right then, none of them would qualify to be a part of it. It was a rather horrifying thought. Still, they only had this last week left before the group split up, so it was reasonable that they take a break and just have fun.

Arina split her time equally between the girls, Lucien, Farostel, the boys, and time spent on her Healing with Jaenelle.

With the girls, they all curled up with hot drinks in Arina's sitting room and just chatted about themselves, the boys, life…everything. Arina soaked it all up like a sponge, happy to have friends for the first time.

And let it just be said that the girls were variable fountains of blackmail material on their brothers.

When she spent time with Lucien, half the time they didn't talk at all. Arina loved to take naps on his lap, and he enjoyed playing with her hair, so it worked out for them both in that respect. They also spent quite a bit of time in bed together. Arina had always stopped them before they went too far, but they had gotten very close once…or twice…or every time…

Seeing as Arina was a virgin, however, Lucien was more than happy to give her time, so he could talk more with his father about what to do about the Virgin Night. He did not want to mess that up, and he had never done that before.

The pair also talked to each other. Lucien told Arina about the times that he had gotten into trouble with his father for various escapades, and she mentally compared his stories to the ones that Rose and the girls told her, hiding smiles. Slowly, though, Arina began to open up more and tell Lucien about living in a house where her parents didn't even realize that she existed a majority of the time, and even then only as an afterthought. She told him about how hard it was to have a drug addict for a sister, and how she couldn't even leave her room for fear in her own house. She cried a lot during those talks, and when she curled up to go to sleep, he would go and take out his frustrations on the practice field.

The only other person that Arina spent individual time with was Farostel. She had grown increasingly close to the quiet male, enjoying the peace with him. There was no hum in her mind when she was with him, like the thrill she felt with Lucien.

They went into the woods around the Hall, and Farostel taught Arina how to move unseen and unheard through the trees, much like a Dea al Mon. Arina enjoyed the lessons, and used the time with him to settle further into her new life in the Realms. There was nothing romantic between them, but there was a growing confidence, and Arina felt like he was her brother—something that thrilled her to no end.

As the week passed, Arina adjusted to her body so that she no longer noticed that her ears were different than others, or that she had a tail, even. She wasn't entirely surprised to wake up on Thursday and find that her elongated legs, ears and tail had all vanished back into her Dream, no longer showing on her flesh. That left only the wings as the remnants of her Dream in Flesh.

It was hard to tell who was more disappointed when the appendages disappeared: herself, Farostel, or Kaelas, who had taken quite a shine to her. However, as a sign that she was truly adjusting to her new life, Arina loved the vanishing acts.

When Arina was spending time with the boys, it was usually playing a game or two. The group had decided to teach her to play chess, possibly hoping that she would therefore learn to play in a reasonable—that is, male—style. Sadly, the confusion between what little she knew of chess from Earth, and what she was learning about chess in the realms left Arina hopelessly confused. After a few games that ended up in horrible messes, the boys gave up.

Unfortunately for the males, the girls had already managed to teach Arina Cradle, but the boys did teach her some other card games, so they considered that a success.

They also regaled her with stories about the girls, which Arina smiled at and filed away in her mind with the stories the girls had told about the boys. It was quite funny, actually, the things that the goys had caught the girls doing and vice versa. The stories really helped Arina to learn more about the people that she was now hanging around with, and she was putting together a good picture of the group as a whole.

Of course, she was leaving in less than a week, but still. That wasn't the point, the point was that she was making friends with them, and it wasn't like they wouldn't be able to visit.

She repeated that line quite a bit lately, it seemed.

"Are you excited about going?" Farostel asked her on Friday. The pair of teens had climbed into one of the towering pines in the woods around the Hall. The male lay out on a long branch, facing the trunk where Arina sat curled up with her arms around her legs. They were about 60 feet in the air, but neither of them really thought about that fact. It certainly didn't bother them.

"Mmm…" Arina murmured, considering the question. "Yes, of course, very much so," she agreed. "But I'm still nervous about going as well, you know?" She added slowly. "it's such a big thing, and this decision, and how I do when I'm there, is going to effect the rest of my life."

Farostel shook his head. "It really isn't that big of a deal," he told her. "Just relax. If things don't' end up working out in Hayll—"

"—Then I'm obviously not meant to be a Queen in charge of anything, or something along those lines. If I really fail out of Hayll, then no Queen in her right mind is going to let me try again in her Territory. There is no way."

The male made a noise of frustration in the back of his throat. "Don't be ridiculous. You are not going to 'fail out' of Hayll. You'll make a wonderful Queen." He rolled his eyes. "Failing. The very idea," he muttered. Arina smiled very slightly, heartened by his confidence in her, and relaxed back against the trunk, taking a long breath. Dropping her arms, she let one leg dangle over the edge of the branch, bursting out laughing when her shoe fell off and plummeted to the ground. Refocusing, she looked back at Farostel, still smiling.

"I'm excited," she repeated. "And a little bit of nerves is healthy, after all."

"Of course," Farostel replied. Arina shot him a sharp look as she registered his glum tone. Her eyes narrowed momentarily in annoyance. And here she had thought that he, at least, was ok with her leaving.

"And how do you feel about me leaving?" she asked. Farostel had always supported her decision to make her own path, and she didn't like that that was no longer the case. At all.

The silver haired male looked down at Arina's fallen shoe instead of meeting the girl's eyes. "I like it less every day," he admitted at last. "We of the Dea al Mon don't like to let go of those we consider our own."

Arina appreciated the compliment, but she wasn't any happier about it. "If it helps at all, I'm going to miss you as well," she told him gently.

"It doesn't."

Arina blinked at the blunt response. He still hadn't meet her eyes. The Queen sighed. "I guess it doesn't matter, in the end," she mumbled. It hurt to lose Farostel's support, but it wasn't going to stop her. "I'm still going, and no one else is coming with me. Well, Janos and Star, but they are different," she amended. Farostel snorted slightly, but didn't disagree. The dog at least was going to follow her no matter what, everyone knew. "But it's only for three years, when I make my Offering and form my court, and that isn't that long," she grumbled. "I don't see what the big deal is. If I was going to college, it would be four years."

"Maybe it isn't that long for you," Farostel snapped, not hearing the last bit. "_I'm_ not going to live for centuries like you are. Time matters to me!"

"What, you think it doesn't matter to me as well?" she snarled at him, infuriated.

"My life will be a blink of an eye for you," the Dea al Mon retorted, rising to his feet and looking down at her. "What does a few years matter to someone who will still be here 4000 years from now?"

Arina shot to her feet, swaying dangerously for a moment. Farostel took a step toward her, reaching out to steady her, but she caught herself and took a step back. "Until a few weeks ago, I was just as short lived as you!" she shouted. "The idea of living for so long still doesn't register to me, you know! I don't think I'm really going to get this living forever thing until I'm standing over your grave! How the_ Hell _do you think that makes me feel, when I think about the fact that I'm going to still look twenty when you and a majority of my friends die of old age? How? I'm honestly curious as to what you think!"

Farostel stared at her with wide eyes, utterly dumbfounded.

"Because it makes me feel like a freak, that's what! Even without the extra parts, I've still changed so much I barely recognize myself!" For a heartbeat, her fangs and slit pupils, ears and tail appeared, changing her into some fantastic creature in the shadows. Then she leaped off the branch and dropped to the ground in a crouch, the changes vanishing just as quickly as they had appeared. The girl vanished into the trees within seconds, leaving Farostel still staring after her in shock. Janos lunged to his feet from where he had sprawled under the tree and raced after Arina, followed by one of the wolves.

After a moment, Farostel climbed down the tree as well, but he didn't even try to go after her. While he would be able to find her, it wasn't worth getting attacked by the canines, and she was protected. Besides, Arina was likely to take a knife to his head, considering how angry she was at the moment.

That probably hadn't been the brightest thing to say to her, in retrospect.

Picking up Arina's discarded shoes, Farostel walked slowly back to the Hall, slipping through the back passages in order to avoid Lucien. It just wasn't worth it.

Arina ran through the trees as quickly as she could, letting the rushing wind burn away the wetness in her eyes. Janos loped next to her, accompanied by a grey wolf on her other side. Both canines were silent, letting her run out her frustrations without distractions, perfectly understanding the urge to just move. The pounding of their feet, the rush of the wind through the branches and her hair, and heavy breathing were the only sounds that she could hear, all the other animals having left at the approach of the predators.

Tension drained slowly out of her frame the longer the girl ran, and with it went her anger. It was hardly Farostel's fault that he didn't want her to leave—part of her didn't want to leave, and she wasn't the one who spent her entire life longing for a Queen to serve. Besides, the waiting was grating on everyone's last nerve, including the adults. It would no doubt get better and easier for everyone once Arina was in Hayll and everyone separated to the different territories and resumed lessons. For now, other than her healing sessions, none of the teens were doing anything. It was a good idea in theory—no one was going to focus on school work for the week—but in reality it left a bunch of somewhat hyperactive teenagers with nothing to occupy their time.

As a direct result, the teens were spending every waking hour with each other, and it was starting to get to the point where they were picking at each other in order to start a fight. Little things were starting to get to everyone as well—just yesterday, Alexandra had shouted at Titian for leaving a book on the floor that she tripped on. It was only inevitable that Arina snap as well, especially considering the attention that she was getting from everyone.

Separating would be good for everyone.

After a solid hour of running, Arina collapsed onto a fallen tree, panting heavily. Despite her exhaustion, though, she felt much better for the run. She was ready to apologize to Farostel for screaming him, at the very least.

*Better now?* Janos asked anxiously, laying his muzzle on Arina's leg to peer at her face. She absently scratched at his hear when she nodded in response. *Good. Food now?*

Arina laughed, climbing to her feet again and stretching slowly. "Food sounds pretty good," she agreed. And judging from the soreness building in her hamstrings, a long soak in steaming water was in order as well. The girl stifled a groan as she began walking.

Starting back to the Hall took a minute of thought, unfortunately. In all of her explorations with Kaelas and Farostel, she had never seen this clearing before, and she didn't remember where she had come from either. The wolf started off to the west with no hesitations, however, and Arina followed slowly, trusting it to know the way back.

"What's your name?" Arina asked the wolf as they treaded their way through the trees.

*I am Shadow,* the wolf told her. He was a Purple Dusk Warlord, Arina judged, and big for a wolf. She tilted her head as she looked between Janos and the wolf. *Meet Janos when he joined pack,* the wolf added. Arina nodded absently and let the subject drop, focusing on the area around them, taking a deep breath of the sweet air.

"Thank you for running with me," she murmured at last. By that point, they had crossed over into familiar territory for her, and she knew where she was at last. Arina was stunned to realize just how far she had to have run, considering that this was almost a mile out from the Hall.

*Was fun,* Shadow told her practically. *Again soon?*

"No, not for a while," she told him, smiling at his enthusiasm. "I'm going away to learn how to be a Queen soon."

The wolf appeared puzzled. *You are a Queen. Why learn?*

"Being a Queen is instinctive, but I need to learn how to administer to a Territory, and just being a Queen doesn't teach me that."

*Oh.*

And then they were quiet again. And it was a good thing, too, because Arina was starting to have to work to hide from the two males how much it hurt to move. It was nothing that a good soak and some aspirin wouldn't solve, but right now, it hurt. If the males realized that, there was no doubt that they would make her stop and go get someone to carry her the rest of the way, and that was not something that she wanted.

There would no doubt be enough lectures from Jaenelle, Karla and Gabrielle without the added embarrassment of having to be carried in as well. She would walk if it killed her—perhaps a bad choice of words.

About an hour after starting back, the tri reached the Hall entrance and slipped inside. Shadow quickly detached from Arina's side and headed off in the direction of the kitchens; Arina, followed by Janos, headed upstairs to her bedroom. Avoiding everyone in the corridors was simple enough, and once she reached her room she quickly locked the door. Janos whined in surprise on the other side of the wood, but Arina didn't budge, leaning against the door in sheer exhaustion.

"Sorry, J, but I'm taking a bath. I want to be alone right now," she added when the Warlord Prince didn't move.

The German Shepard went away after a long moment, nails clicking softly on the wood floors. Arina waited until the sound was gone to stager into her bathroom, and promptly collapsed on the on the edge of the huge tub. She started filling it with hot water and sent a message down to the kitchen for food before simply vanishing her clothes and sliding painfully into the water.

She floated.

Knocking on her door roused her from a stupor after a while, and the girl shifted so that she was sitting on one of the benches around the edge rather than floating on the surface. "Come in," she called.

Jaenelle and Gabrielle came in, floating a tray covered with rich foods—steak, stew, spaghetti, bread, and fruit. Arina's mouth watered, and she moved to the bench closest to the edge of the bath eagerly. The two women chuckled as the set the tray down on the side of the tub and sat down. Arina instantly attacked the food, and Jaenelle waited a moment before starting the interrogation.

"So, how are you feeling?" Jaenelle inquired innocently, a knowing glint in her eyes.

Arina hesitated, wary. "I'm feeling alright," she said at last.

"Really? Because Shadow tells me that you ran about nine miles today. In fact, he was very excited because it had been a while since he was able to run like that—and considering his pack, that is quite the accomplishment."

The younger girl paused and considered. "I'm feeling alright _now_," she allowed. "I was sore—well, I'm still sore—but it isn't actually that bad. All I had to do was soak the tenseness out," Arina insisted.

Jaenelle leveled an even stare on the girl. Finally she inclined her head in concession, silently agreeing not to lecture—as long as Arina wasn't lying. "Alright then," she said. "Get out so we can check on you," Jaenelle told her. Then, giving the water a longing look, she changed her mind. "Never mind," she said, exchanging a look with Gabrielle, who smiled. "We'll join you instead."

"I told you I was fine," Arina grumbled as she sprawled out on her bed. Gabrielle had left after the two Healers had determined that there was nothing wrong with Arina that a good night's sleep wouldn't cure, and that the run hadn't done damage to the healing and forming muscle. "I'm a decent judge of my physical limitations, seeing as I have been taking self defense classes for years," she added.

"I suppose," Jaenelle said in amusement. "Remember to stay in bed for the evening, to rest your muscles. You have flying lessons tomorrow morning as well."

"Right," Arina agreed. She was excited, still unable to believe that she was going to be able to fly—it was a dream come true, literally. Jaenelle left the room quietly while Arina mused, shutting the door with a slight click that brought the girl back out of her thoughts. She instantly sat up and reached out with her Jewel to find the others.

Janos was out with the local pack in the woods; Star and the rest of the horses were sleeping in the stables. Retreating back inside, Arina located Rose, Lillian and Alexandra together with Karla, and she remembered the three Healers in training talking about asking for a lesson. Everyone else had split up in their individual rooms though, making it easy for Arina. Merely brushing against Farostel's mental barriers was enough to let him know that she wanted to see him.

*I'm coming,* he sent almost instantly.

Of course he was, she grumbled to herself. Because it wasn't at all like she was nervous about apologizing for completely losing it earlier.

Sure enough, there was a tap on the door about a minute later. Arina beckoned to the door, and it swung open on its own—momentarily distracted, Arina beamed.

"Impressive," Farostel said quietly as he entered the room. Arina jerked her head up and looked at him, flushing slightly.

"Thank you," she mumbled. She fidgeted with her blanket for a second, then straightened. "I wanted to apologize for earlier," she told him. "For snapping on you. It was uncalled for, and you didn't deserve it."

"Maybe I did, a little," Farostel disagreed, coming to perch on the foot of the bed. "I was goading you, and I didn't consider that you weren't of the long lived races before. I was inconsiderate, and I'm sorry, too."

"Well, we're both sorry. So we should just forgive each other and forget about this whole incident then," Arina suggested.

"Of course," Farostel agreed. He got to his feet again with a small smile. "Lauranna wanted help with something, so I should go," he announced, already heading out the door. "Good luck tomorrow, Lady," he called over his shoulder.

Lucien entered the sitting room just as Farostel was leaving, and Arina caught a glimpse of the look exchanged by the two males.

"What was that about?" Lucien asked after he closed the door behind him once Farostel had gone. He came over to the bed and lay down next to her, letting her curl up next to him and lay her head on his chest.

"We had a fight earlier. I wanted to apologize to him, and he wanted to do the same to me." She shrugged. "It wasn't a big deal or anything."

"Ah," Lucien muttered. Then, "What did you fight about?"

"That, Lucien my love, is none of your business," Arina huffed. "Besides, it doesn't matter anymore, because we have decided to forget about it and move on. But part of it was about my moving to Hayll, just like you thought, no doubt."

"So he's finally come to his sense, then?" Lucien asked idly, running his fingers through her hair. "He tried to convince you to stay, to apprentice to someone nearer to home? In which case, he obviously failed."

"Well, he doesn't want me to leave, but he didn't try to convince me to apprentice to someone else. At least he gets where I'm coming from with the whole favoritism thing. I'm not going to apprentice in one of the Territories ruled by Jaenelle's circle. Then that family would claim that I liked them more or something. Even with you, so I won't do that. Besides, who would I chose? Your mother? Farostel's? Or maybe someone else's mother?" Arina shook her head. "I care about more than just you, Lucien, and I'm not willing to hurt anyone." Her tone had grown increasingly sharp as she finished her statement. "So no, he didn't convince me to stay. As little as you like it, this is the best way for things to happen."

Lucien wrapped his arm around the girl and pressed his lips to the top of her head to still her voice. "I'm sorry. I don't want to fight tonight, okay?"

"Alright," Arina agreed. She was already half asleep at this point, so she just curled tighter into his side and hummed quietly. "We can finish fighting about this tomorrow," she mumbled. Within minutes, Lucien, still musing over that last comment, realized that Arina had fallen asleep on top of him. Smiling softly, he followed her lead.

"Don't even start," Lucien snarled at his sister as she sauntered up to him, smirking widely. He glared down at his cup of coffee before automatically looking over to check on Arina. Next to him, Rose snickered softly. Lucien ignored her grimly, watching as his mother and Uncle talked to the girl, appearing to give her advice.

The pair had been found by Lucivar at nine that morning, roused by his usual wake up call. The man had laughed on seeing them, and then dragged Lucien out of the bed. Arina had moaned slightly, curling up into the warm hole that was left behind by the male. Lucien was unceremoniously shoved into an icy shower after a short tussle where Lucien tried to drag his Uncle in after him. By the time that Lucivar got back to the door of Arina's room, it was locked, with the Queen dressing quickly in skin tight pants and a backless shirt for easy maneuverability when flying. Lucivar was quite impressed with her initiative, and amused by the fact that they had slept together without sleeping together.

By the time that Arina and Lucien had gotten to the field, everyone in the Hall knew that they had spent the night together. The girls thought that it was cute, and thoroughly approved. The boys, on the other hand, couldn't decide if they were impressed or jealous of Lucien. Either way, the result was a lot of people giving him knowing looks and smirks. Arina was busy, and she was the Queen, so no one was giving her the looks, only Lucien.

It was irritating. After the first ten minutes of it, the Warlord Prince started snarling at people—after that, they stopped teasing him and gave him distance.

His mother stepped back from Uncle Lucivar and Arina, calling in a pair of gossamer black wings and slipping them on. Lucien's father leaned forward intently, and everyone stopped their conversations to face the field, knowing that the lesson was about to begin. Arina and Lucivar had both spread their wings, and Arina had a look of intense concentration on her face. Her wings started to move, slowly at first and then picking up speed, whipping her hair around her face. But still, nothing happened, and Arina frowned thoughtfully. She said something to Lucivar softly enough that no one could hear it, and he looked interested. Glancing up at the Hall, the older male nodded after a moment of consideration. Arina folded her wings and Lucivar picked her up and took off to everyone's surprise. Jaenelle followed after a moment, and the three disappeared over the roof of the Hall and didn't show back up for a few long moments.

Finally, Lucivar reappeared, hovering over the roof and looking down, and then Jaenelle ascended as well. When ARina didn't show, Lucien exchanged a confused look with Rose and Farostel, who had come up behind him.

Then Arina leapt off the edge of the roof to general shock. Lucien let out a shout of horror and lunged forward, reaching out with his Jewel simultaneously. She didn't need him to catch her, though.

Her wings swept out and caught the wind, and she curved up far above the ground. Arina spiraled upwards by tilting her body slightly to the left, laughing loudly enough to be heard from the ground. Lucivar rose up to join her, and within seconds Jaenelle swept behind Arina to examine her wings as the girl used them. Lucivar started to lead the girl in different flying patterns in a vast circle around the field, allowing Jaenelle to simply rotate in place to watch Arina work.

Lucien could hear her laughing from far overhead, gleefully spinning around the larger male. It was hard not to be jealous that he couldn't fly, particularly when Daemonar and Andulvar both took off and joined Arina in playing games with their father in the air. Janos ran around the field below Arina, snapping playfully at her heels when she dipped low.

Farostel made a thoughtful noise as he looked between Arina and the three Eryians.

"What?" Rose asked, curious. She followed his gaze to the fliers, but didn't find what he was seeing.

"They fly differently," The male noted. "She has more control than the Eryians, it looks like. More precision." Arina was dancing around Lucivar in tight maneuvers and tiny shifts that the male couldn't replicate, despite many attempts. The ones on the ground watched in surprise as one of the most skilled fliers was outdone by a scrap of a girl flying for the first time.

"Are the differences in the wings really so distinct? I thought that they just got them in the air," Rose mumbled the last bit under her breath, but Rillian and Lillian gave her dark looks in response, obviously having caught it. Rose just shrugged at them. "Don't you use Craft to fly?"

"We rely a lot on power, yes," Rillian began. "Strong wing beats, support from Craft, and such. We can use wind currents to glide and help build up speed, but we have to maintain our power to fly. Arina doesn't seem to use as much of her Craft and power—it's more physical for her."

"I don't know if she even does have to use Craft. It's a distinct possibility that she doesn't," Lillian mused, looking up. "I wonder how much Dad can teach her, if she doesn't use Craft or fly in the same style."

"Not all that much," Andulvar announced. The girls all jumped as their youngest family member landed beside them, folding his wings and looking back up at the sky. Rose swore at him for scaring her; Andulvar and Lucien both snickered.

"What was that?" Lillian asked once she collected herself.

"We can't really teach her much. What we could teach her was about wind currents and how it helps us conserve energy and how to use them to full effect, and very general things, but anything more complicated than that, when she tries to do what we say, it just messes her up." The boy shrugged. "There isn't much we can do about it."

"She has to have gotten the wings from somewhere, and if hers are so different from yours, then it stands to reason that someone—many someones—dreamed them in a specific way. The question is—who?"

"Better idea—what."

Everyone turned to look at Farostel, and the male stared back evenly. "The only thing that I can think off, that would give her wings like that, would be some kind of bird kindred that we are unaware of. Why else would she have wings so different from the only winged Blood?"

"Who knows," Lucien muttered, dropping to the ground and stretching out. "We'll find out sooner or later."

Mumbling in agreement, the others all lowered themselves to the ground and closed their eyes as they relaxed. About half an hour later there was a rustle of grass by Lucien's head, and fingers brushed over his hair, moving it gently out of his face. Opening his eyes a slit, he looked up at Arina's glittering silver eyes, and smiled.

"Hey you," she murmured. "Taking a nap?"

"Maybe," he drawled. She tugged lightly at a lock of his hair before straightening back up and moving away. Sitting up, he saw her return to where his mother and uncle were having a quiet conversation, her wing tips trailing lightly over the grass. To his irritation, Farostel had already gained his feet and moved to stand behind Arina. Growling slightly, Lucien stalked after them.

"You obviously know what you are doing in the air, Arina, and there is nothing more that I can teach you. Anything else I tell you will only hinder you, from what we've seen. Other than trying to locate whoever—or whatever—Dreamed your wings, you are done. Flying is instinct, after all. You don't need much help anyway."

"Yes, you are already quite skilled in the air. I do want you to take it easy and not spend more than an hour flying at a time, and no more than twice a day for a month, and then I'll visit you in Hayll and see how you are doing," Jaenelle agreed.

"Great," Arina said. She spread her wings out to their full, sixteen foot span before folding them in tightly. As they molded to her back they began to look translucent and insubstantial. Lucien sucked in a breath in surprise and reached out to touch them—too late. Within seconds the feathered appendages were completely gone, fading into the shadows as though they had never been there. Arina twisted her head around in surprise as the weight vanished off of her back, muscles loosening and relaxing automatically. "Huh," she said, disappointed. The wings had bade her different, set her apart, but she loved them. Like many children, she had always dreamed of flying—the freedom of it—though perhaps more than most children. "I do wish that they would have stayed," she said wistfully.

Jaenelle smiled understandingly. "I know. But they aren't completely gone, of course. Just put away for now, the Dream having fallen beneath the Flesh. Now," she said seriously as Arina nodded, "You need to remember to summon your wings every day and fly for an hour, both to keep strengthening your wings, and to practice."

"Right," Arina agreed. "I'll be fine," she added in exasperation when Jaenelle didn't relax. "I get that I still need to practice, really."

Lucivar nodded sharply, accepting that she understood instantly. "Then we're done here," he said. "Arina, you only have three days left before you leave—are you packed?"

"I'm…getting there," she mumbled, looking down momentarily in embarrassment.

Alexandra popped up next to Arina, making the males standing by her jump in shock. "I'll help her finish packing," she offered.

"Great," Arina said brightly, relieved. She had enough left to do that she didn't want to do it alone—it would take her forever to finish, considering how often she was interrupted. Spinning, she hugged Lucien quickly. "I'll see you later then, okay?" she told him. She knew perfectly well that he wanted to spend the day with her, but this would be better in the long run. Lucien softened slightly, wrapping his arms around Arina for a long moment.

"Have fun," he told her, dropping his arms reluctantly. Arina stuck her tongue out at him before strolling off with the other Queen back to the Hall, waving at the rest of the teens as they went. Alexandra said something to Arina as they walked out of hearing distance, and both girls laughed. Alexandra flicked a glance over her shoulder at Lucien and Farostel and smiled sweetly.

Both males shivered on instinct. It was rarely a good sign when a witch gave someone a overly sweet smile.

"That was kind of cruel," Arina managed as the pair reached her rooms. The expressions on the boys faces when Alexandra had smiled at them were so funny, though, that Arina really couldn't bring herself to scold too much.

"I know," Alexandra said smugly. Putting her hands on her hips, the blond girl looked around Arina's bedroom critically. There were blown up images of the rooms in her new manor, covered with raw designs for fabric colors and types, furniture woods and styles, and everything out of an interior designers dream. These images were partially covered by newer pictures of the group of teens caught at odd moments over the past week, usually when they were picnicking out on the lawn or playing games at night. Papers with drawings of the Hall and hand-drawn images of the pictures were on top of those pictures. Piles of clothes separated by seasonal wear were sitting next to elegant looking trunks, each decorated with a tree in each of the seasons—bare branches for winter, buds for spring, green leaves for summer, and wild red and gold leaves for autumn. "So, what needs doing?" she asked.

"My clothes are mostly separated already," Arina began, refocusing on the current task. "But I still have a couple of shopping bags to go through and sort," she continued, gesturing to the small pile of shopping bags, some from the Realms, and some from Earth. "Plus, most of my random stuff still needs to get packed." Arina picked up the book nearest to her, moving across the room to set it in a plain black trunk obviously meant for only her books.

"Why are we sorting everything if they are already in bags?" Alexandra asked, frowning at the bags by the wall in resignation.

"Because it is not useful to have them in bags," Arina said tartly. "And that's that."

Alexandra laughed as she sat down and reached dutifully for the first of the bags. "Because you say so?" she teased.

Arina smirked at her. "Exactly. But anyway, the boys probably think you are planning to kill them in their sleep or something like that. That smile was devious on so many levels."

"But I'm right, aren't I?" Alexandra pressed, bringing them back to the topic they had been weaving around on the way up to the rooms. Arina made a face and turned around. "They are two sides of your triangle. Who will stand as the Steward, though?" Alexandra mused. "None of the boys really have the right temperament for it, and I don't think Great-Uncle Saetan would agree, to be honest. I think he is happy as just a librarian in the Keep," she continued.

"I know that already. And shush, will you? I'm not choosing my Court yet, and I'm not going to until I make my Offering in three years and actually set up my Court, so I'm not going to worry about it right now."

"But when you do establish your Court, Lucien will be your Consort, and Farostel your Master of the Guard. Everyone knows it, even if you won't say it out loud."

Arina grumbled quietly, not actually saying anything as she complained. She started to move around the room, separating her photographs from her drawings, and those from the room layout designs. Stacking them all neatly in piles next to her book trunk, she avoided looking at Alexandra as she searched for something to say. Meanwhile the other girl sorted through the sundresses and flowing tops, humming softly as she set them in the summer trunk.

"Why trunks?" Alexandra asked suddenly. "Why not use the suitcase you brought or something instead of buying a bunch of admittedly nice trunks?"

"What? Oh, well, I'm a bit of a Harry Potter fan, and I always thought it would be so much fun to pack up a trunk and go to Hogwarts, so when I saw them, I had to get them, even if I'm not going to Hogwarts."

Alexandra stared at the girl blankly. "I understand the words that you just used, but the way that you put them together makes no sense in my mind." She told Arina, who laughed.

"Yeah, I keep forgetting that you don't have Harry Potter here. It's a book series, kind of. It almost has a cult following, actually, but that's not actually important right now. I'll let you borrow the books after Lucien reads them, if you want. I think you'll like them, actually. Magic seems to have a lot of similarities to Craft."

"Ah, if you say so," Alexandra muttered, eyeing the rambling girl.

"I'm just nervous. It would appear that I tend to ramble when I am nervous. Interesting."

Alexandra sighed. "It's going to be a long three days," she predicted mournfully. That said, she closed the lid of the spring trunk, moving onto the winter piles, shaking her head.

Arina huffed.

The next two days passed in a daze of flying practices, last minute packing, games played with the group, and moments stolen in dark corners with Lucien. There were countless times when Arina second guessed her decision, and considered calling off her apprenticeship and just working with Jaenelle instead. But every time, she would remember all her reasons for going away in the first place. And even beyond that, she wanted to go. It was something that she had decided for herself, unlike the decision to come here, or even forming bonds with these people. That just happened, it wasn't something she consciously chose for herself. Going to Hayll, though, was. And she wanted to go, even when she hesitated as she spent more time with her friends. Her decision was never really going to change, and the others stopped trying to convince her to stay after the first day.

Wednesday morning dawned beautifully, with no clouds blocking the sunlight, a crisp breeze to brush across her skin, and the promise of a warm and sunny day. Arina had woken early, standing at the window and looking out over the lawn to the forest beyond, remembering the wildness of the jungle, how different it was.

A quiet knock on the door preceded Lucien into the room. Arina didn't turn away from the window, instead reaching her hand behind her for the male to take. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned back against him, and he rested his chin on the top of her head.

"This is it then," Lucien whispered.

"Yes," she returned, equally soft. "I know." A pulse from the webs drew both of their eyes to the landing web in front of the house, where Lady Irena Delanio had just stepped out of a carriage. Lucien stilled. With her was her husband, Prince Harrison Delanio, and an older man that Arina pinned as the Steward of the Court. The three disappeared through the doorway, and Lucien buried his face in Arina's hair.

"Please don't go," he mumbled.

"I'll miss you," she told him. Turning in his arms, she took his face and her hands and studied him. "Every day, I will miss you. Don't doubt that. I love you, Lucien."

It was the first time that she had said the words out loud, and Lucien's eyes widened in shock. Then he kissed her, hard, desperately. She returned it every bit as hungrily, backing him into one of her bed posts.

"Is this a bad time?" an amused voice asked from the doorway. Arina snarled, twisting to glare at Daemon furiously. "Because last I checked, you were supposed to be leaving in a few minutes," Lucien's father added dryly. "This doesn't look like leaving."

"You little—" Arina released Lucien, spitting curses in several different languages at Daemon while she did so.

"Come on," Lucien grumbled. "Really?"

"She is expected downstairs, son," Daemon said simply. He turned and walked away without another word, leaving his son to glare after him. Groaning, he turned to the furious Queen.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked, holding out his hand. Arina glanced around the room once more to check that she had everything she needed before nodding and taking it.

"It's time to leave," she murmured. They left the room, closing the doors behind them and headed down the stairs. The hum of voices guided them to the large breakfast room, where everyone appeared to be congregated. Arina paused and scanned the room from the door.

The Hayllian Queen was sitting at the head of the table, chatting with Jaenelle and Karla. Her husband and the Steward were talking with Daemon and Saetan. Farostel, Alexandra, Rose, and Yaslana were all standing by the buffet table, and everyone else was scattered around the room. They all turned to face Arina and Lucien in the doorway with smiles.

"Darling, it's lovely to see you. Are you ready?" Lady Irena chirped, coming across the room to take Arina's hand.

The girl smiled slightly. "As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose."

"Excellent! Once you eat, then, we'll go!" She went back to her conversation with Jaenelle, leaving Lucien staring after her in shock.

"I know, dear. Don't worry, you'll get used to it." Arina started pulling the male towards the buffet table, where Farostel and the others were waiting.

"She has to be the most excitable woman, let alone Queen, that I've ever heard of," Lucien said flatly.

"That's what makes her so scary, though," Arina told him, amused.

"I don't understand," Lucien admitted.

"She seems so sweet and loving, that when she turns lethal, it stuns people far more than it does when say, you or Farostel do. People expect it from you—they don't from people like Lady Irena," Rose explained, smirking. "Obviously."

"Ah. Anyway, here's some food for you," Farostel handed Arina a plate filled with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, and fried potatoes. At least they knew better than to feed her steak at this hour by now. Sinking into a chair, Arina started to eat while the others slowly gathered together in a clump around her. Soft murmurs flowed around them, and when Arina finally set aside her plate, silence fell.

One by one the teens came up and hugged her, whispering goodbyes in her ears before walking away with their parents, leaving for their own territories. The gathering of adults had been as long as the teen gathering, and it was high time that everyone went back to their own homes. Within minutes, only Lucien and his siblings, and Farostel and his sisters remained in the Hall. The girls had already said their goodbyes, and Lauranna and Astira had rejoined Gabrielle and Chaosti. Rose had vanished out the door, leaving the two boys behind to say goodbye.

Standing, Arina wrapped her arms around the Dea al Mon male and squeezed. He hugged her back equally fiercely, burying his face in her hair. "Don't forget about me, ok?" he murmured at last.

Arina pulled back in shock. "I would never!" she sputtered, indignant. Farostel smiled wanly at the girl, shrugging in mock helplessness. Arina glared at him, then hit him in the arm. "You are an ass," she growled.

"But you love me anyway," he teased. Still, there was that faint hint of worry in the back of his eyes, just like in everyone else's, which concerned Arina.

"Alexandra's right," she said softly. Kissing Farostel on the cheek, she murmured, "I have chosen my Master of the Guard." Turning away towards Lucien, she called over her shoulder, "I'll see you at Winsol, Farostel."

"What did you tell him?" Lucien asked when she reached him, staring at the stunned male behind the girl.

"Only the truth," she assured.

"That is not comforting," the male muttered. Then he was quiet, because kissing Arina was a much better option than talking.

"Don't worry," Arina breathed.

"Stay, please."

Arina smiled sweetly at him. "I love you, I'll miss you. Don't do anything foolish while I'm gone."

And she was gone without another word.

**AN: SO…..late. Very late. **

**I'm sorry! This chapter was really hard to write…and my Senior year at high school just ended, and I have been very busy. I have no excuses for my absolutely appalling behavior. Please forgive me. Also…review, because I don't think this chapter came out nearly as well as I would have liked it too. But it's long, if that helps at all!**


End file.
